Outpatient management of autologous haematopoietic cell transplantation: the Barcelona experience.
BACKGROUND
Following hematopoietic cell transplantation, infections (less frequent following autologous rather than allogenic transplantation) are the principle cause of morbidity and mortality.


METHODS
We present a retrospective study of infectious mortality in 400 patients suffering from malignant haematological affections and having undergone autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation.


RESULTS
Among these 400 patients, 29 (7.3%) died from infection. Using multivariate analysis, the only variable associated with the risk of fatal infection was the year of the transplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
This is one of the largest homogeneous series devoted to infectious mortality in patients suffering from malignant haematological affections and having undergone autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation. Some of these patients, considered as low-risk (transitory neutropenia, aged under 60, haematological disease in complete regression, without co-morbidity, presenting fever without site of infection nor sepsis) could eventually be treated at home with parenteral, sequential or perhaps even oral antibiotics.
Rovira
Montserrat
M
BMT Unit, Haematology Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016465:Bone Marrow Purging / Q000009:adverse effects; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous