title: A risk-adapted approach with a short course of ganciclovir to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia in CMV-seropositive recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants.
abstract: We studied the efficacy and safety of a risk-adapted approach with ganciclovir to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia in 41 CMV-seropositive recipients of genotypically human leukocyte antigen-identical bone marrow transplants. Prophylaxis with ganciclovir, at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg twice a day for 14 days, was started when patients were treated with high-dose steroids for acute graft-versus-host disease (i.e., they were considered at high risk for CMV pneumonia), or the drug was given as preemptive therapy when CMV antigenemia developed (i.e., the patients were considered at intermediate risk for CMV pneumonia). Twelve patients (29%) were treated prophylactically and seven patients (17%) preemptively. Only five patients (26%) received a second course of ganciclovir (given preemptively to four patients). Twenty-two patients (54%) never received ganciclovir because they did not fall within these risk groups. None of the 41 patients developed CMV pneumonia. Ganciclovir-related granulocytopenia did not occur (course 1) or was very mild (course 2). We conclude that this approach appears to prevent the development of CMV pneumonia after bone marrow transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Verdonck
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rozenberg-Arska
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: van den Hoek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012698:Serologic Tests; D015996:Survival Rate; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015774:Ganciclovir