Importance of the nursing role in the care of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract

Introduction: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common malignant neoplasm in childhood. They are neoplastic
processes of the hematopoietic tissue of clonal origin, which are distinguished by infiltration into the bone marrow, blood
and other tissues by cancer cells of the hematopoietic tissue. Objective: to show the importance of the nursing role in
the care of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Materials and methods: a descriptive bibliographic
review was carried out, in which updated bibliography was used, where reference was made to the most important
articles, for which studies by different authors were consulted from sources such as Infomed, MEDISAN, virtual library,
google academic and others. Results: leukemia is the most common oncological disorder of childhood, characterized
by a bone marrow condition that causes excessive production of immature cells called blasts. The exact etiology of this
disease is not known, but like the rest of malignant diseases, it is multifactorial. To diagnose the disease, a bone marrow
aspirate is indicated to assess whether or not there is cellular blastosis. The treatment that the child will receive will be
aimed at eliminating leukemic cells for better bone marrow functioning. Discussion: The nursing care applied to these patients is aimed at the alterations that this condition can cause to the different systems of the body. Nursing care
focuses on protecting them from external agents, preserving their health and personality, and incorporating them into
society as active members. Conclusions: Nursing is an essential care element in the care of pediatric patients with acute
lymphoblastic leukemia. The nurse plays a fundamental role, offering not only care, but also attending to her needs and
the main alterations of the body to achieve quality of life in the world of children's oncology.