Community respiratory virus infections in bone marrow transplant recipients: the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center experience.
Community respiratory virus (CRV) infections are common among bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients during community outbreaks. At M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), experience with CRV infection in this population over the past decade suggests that BMT recipients in the preengraftment phase are at special risk of progression of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) to pneumonia. After pneumonia is established, no currently available therapy substantially reduces mortality. For BMT recipients with respiratory syncytial virus URTIs, treatment with ribavirin and intravenous immunoglobulin may be helpful in preventing progression to pneumonia and thus in reducing mortality, but this approach requires confirmation in controlled clinical trials. Prevention of CRV infection in this vulnerable patient population is crucial to reducing morbidity and mortality. Aggressive infection control precautions, which have been in effect at MDACC since 1994, have reduced nosocomial transmission of these potentially lethal infections.
Champlin
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Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA. rchampli@mdacc.tmc.edu
Whimbey
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D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D015996:Survival Rate; D013781:Texas
D000998:Antiviral Agents