title: Questioning the role of a neutropenic diet following hematopoetic stem cell transplantation.
abstract: The use of a neutropenic diet (ND) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was instituted more than 30 years ago as a means of preventing infection from organisms colonizing the gastrointestinal tract. Evidence supporting this practice is lacking, however, and the actual efficacy of the ND remains unknown. Institutional policy at Northwestern Memorial Hospital discontinued the use of ND in 2006. We conducted a retrospective study of 726 consecutive HSCT recipients, 363 who received an ND and 363 who received a general hospital diet, to determine the incidence of microbiologically confirmed infections during and after transplantation. Our findings indicate a higher rate of infections in the HSCT recipients who received an ND.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. strifili@nmh.org
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trifilio
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Helenowski
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giel
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gobel
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pi
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Jayesh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents