title: Pediatric thoracic organ transplants: challenges in primary care.
abstract: Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNP) confront numerous challenges when delivering care to infants, children, and adolescents who receive thoracic organ transplants. Today, thoracic organ transplantation is an acceptable and viable option for infants, children, and adolescents with end stage cardiac and pulmonary disease. Despite the plateau in the actual numbers of thoracic organ transplants performed annually in the United States, they are still being performed in a significant number. The care of children who receive transplants includes long-term use of immunosuppressants, dealing with infectious diseases, and utilizing principles of well child and family care. PNPs play a vital role in providing holistic care to infants, children, and adolescents who receive a thoracic organ transplant.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Jeanette M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Teets
authors.forename: Michele J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Borisuk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000451:nursing*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000451:nursing*; D011320:Primary Health Care