Publication
Transfusion Use Among Children with Hematologic Malignancies Receiving Concurrent Hospice Care
Weaver M, Jalfon R, Liang J, Mamer T, Johnson L, Kaye E, Salek M, Cowfer B, Superdock A, Li Y, Levine D · Journal of Pain & Symptom Management · 2026
Background Patients with hematologic malignancies enroll in hospice at lower rates than other diagnoses, potentially due to loss of transfusion support. Objective This study evaluated transfusion use among children with hematologic cancers enrolled in home-based hospice programs designed to maintain transfusion availability. Methods This three-year retrospective review included patients <21 years with hematologic malignancies enrolled in hospice between October 2022 and 2025. Structured query language reports and manual chart reviews captured demographic and clinical data. Results Thirty-six patients (mean 10.9 years [range 1–19]) were included, with an average hospice duration of 174 days (8–763). Patients received a mean of 88.6 platelet (0–330) and 32.4 red blood cell (0–120) transfusions. Transfusion frequency did not differ by demographics but was higher among international patients (P = 0.021). Acute myeloid leukemia was associated with higher transfusion use compared with other diagnoses (P = 0.015). Longer hospice enrollment correlated with higher number of transfusions across settings (P < 0.05). Children living in institutional housing received transfusions closer to death compared to community-based patients (P = 0.017). Timing of last chemotherapy predicted timing of last transfusion (P < 0.001). Conclusions In a setting with guaranteed transfusion access, children commonly continued transfusions throughout hospice, supporting symptom-focused care.
Synced from the TRENDS in Pediatric Palliative Care Zotero library, curated by The Siden Research Team. ICPCN does not host or verify the full text.