Predictors of physical outcomes in pediatric bone marrow transplantation.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the hypothesis that family factors, in conjunction with clinical factors, are associated with physical outcomes in pediatric BMT. A prospective study of 68 pediatric patients (mean age = 7.5 years; ranging from 4 months to 18 years) undergoing BMT was carried out over a 6.5 year period. Physicians rated initial prognosis on a (0-5) scale which incorporated the child's diagnosis, known risk factors, and type of donor. Both parents individually completed two psychometrically sound questionnaires assessing family well-being and marital satisfaction. Cox proportional hazards survival analyses were performed to determine predictors of death (44% of the patients died). Potential predictor variables included were: initial prognosis, type of transplant, patient's age, socioeconomic status, marital satisfaction and family status, and family stress. Initial prognosis, as estimated by the physician, (RR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.40, 0.97) was the best predictor of survival. Initial clinical factors are clearly critical in outcomes for pediatric BMT patients.