Background Pediatric patients experience significant symptoms during cancer treatment. Symptom management is frequently inadequate. We studied perceptions of pediatric oncology care providers regarding early integration of palliative care (PC) for pediatric patients to identify barriers and facilitators that might assist in understanding how care could be improved. Procedures Pediatric oncology providers were recruited to participate in four focus groups. A proposal for early integration of a pediatric palliative care team (PPCT) was presented and followed by a facilitated discussion. Data were analytically categorized into themes by three independent coders using constant comparative analysis and crystallization techniques. A consensus approach was used to indentify final themes. Results Barriers to the proposed care model of early integration of a PPCT included provider role, conflicting philosophy, patient readiness and emotional influence and were more prevalent in the physician participants compared to nurse practitioner, nursing, and social work participants. Facilitators included patient eligibility, improved patient care, education, and evidence-based medicine. Though all participants were invested in providing optimal patient care, physician participants believed the current standard of care model is meeting the needs of patients and family, while the nurse practitioner, nursing, and social work participants working on the same healthcare team believed the proposed care model would improve the overall care of children diagnosed with cancer. Conclusions Differing perceptions among healthcare providers regarding the care of children with cancer suggest that team functioning could be improved. Avenues for pilot testing early integration of PC could provide useful information for a next study.

Background Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) comes with a significant risk of life‐threatening infection during periods of prolonged severe neutropenia. We studied the impact of preventive intravenous (IV) antibiotic administration at onset of absolute neutropenia on the incidence and outcome of life‐threatening infections during treatment of childhood AML. Procedures This is a retrospective study on pediatric patients (aged 0–18 years) consecutively diagnosed with de novo AML and treated at a single institution from April 2005 through February 2013. Patients were treated on the Children's Oncology Group (COG) AAML0531 protocol or with a modified United Kingdom Medical Research Council (UK MRC) AML 10 regimen. Pertinent data were extracted from hard copy or electronic chart review. Results A total of 76 chemotherapy phases were analyzed from 29 patients. In each phase reported, preventive antibiotics were initiated when the daily absolute neutrophil count was <500 cells/mcl, before onset of fever. Seven episodes of bacteremia were documented with predominantly coagulase‐negative staphylococci and viridans group streptococci. One infection‐related death occurred, attributed to progressive respiratory failure occurring months after documented candidal pneumonia. Conclusions Initiation of preventive antibiotics at the onset of absolute neutropenia was associated with no mortality from bacteremia. This preventive approach appears feasible and safe. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1149–1154. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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