Mechanical ventilation in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: can We effectively predict outcomes?
BACKGROUND
Survival rates from mechanical ventilation (MV) in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation are poor, but little is known about the need for and outcomes from MV in patients who undergo autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT).


OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of and risk factors for the use of MV in recipients of AHSCT and to identify predictors of survival in mechanically ventilated AHSCT patients.


METHODS
Retrospective, cohort analysis


METHODS
Tertiary-care, university-affiliated medical center.


METHODS
One hundred fifty-nine consecutive patients who underwent AHSCT.


METHODS
Patient surveillance and data collection.


RESULTS
The primary outcome measure was the need for MV, and the secondary end point was survival after MV. Of 159 patients, 17 required MV (10. 7%). Three variables were associated with the need for MV: increasing age, use of total body irradiation in the conditioning regimen, and treatment with amphotericin B. As a screening test to predict the need for MV, no risk factor had a sensitivity or specificity > 82%. Three of the 17 mechanically ventilated patients (17.6%) survived to discharge. Only the mean APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II score separated survivors from nonsurvivors (21.7 vs 31.4; p = 0.029). Both the duration of MV and the length of stay in the ICU were similar in survivors and nonsurvivors.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that MV is infrequently needed following AHSCT. Although survival after MV in these patients is limited, clinical variables do not reliably allow clinicians to prospectively identify patients destined to die.
Shorr
A F
AF
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA. CPT_Andrew_Shorr@WRAMC1.AMEDD.ARMY.MIL
Moores
L K
LK
Edenfield
W J
WJ
Christie
R J
RJ
Fitzpatrick
T M
TM
D018806:APACHE; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome