“I never thought there could be anything worse than cancer but chemo is": Adverse Drug Reactions in a Children's Oncology Unit

Abstract

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common in children and young people and contribute significantly to morbidity, mortality and hospital costs more so in children who are cared for within the speciality of oncology. There is little research that addresses how ADRs impact on children and young people receiving chemotherapy and their families in respect of their everyday lives.

This mixed method study comprised of three phases and encompassed three areas of a regional paediatric oncology unit; day case, inpatient and outpatient. Phase 1 aimed to identify the incidence of ADRs within a children’s regional oncology unit and whether ADRs resulted in multiple attendances/admissions. Phase 2 used questionnaires to ascertain a general overview of the experience of children and young people who had experienced an ADR and their parents. Phase 3 of this study used semi-structured interviews to examine how children, young people, and their parents feel about their experience(s) of an ADR.