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Post-Transplants Events

Reduced respiratory and skeletal muscle strength in survivors of sibling or unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 41, pages 965–969 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

We performed a retrospective analysis of muscle strength testing obtained following sibling or unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2003 in a cohort of 44 subjects at Tufts-New England Medical Center. Maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) was ⩽80% predicted in 52% of subjects and ⩽60% predicted in 20% of subjects; maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax) was ⩽80% predicted in 88% of subjects and ⩽60% predicted in 74% of subjects. Patients with a PImax ⩽60% predicted spent significantly longer time in hospital following HSCT compared with subjects with PImax 60% predicted. Grip strength (n=32) was reduced to ⩽80% predicted in 75% of subjects and ⩽60% predicted in 47% of subjects following HSCT. Analysis of paired measurements obtained before and after HSCT in 20 of the 44 subjects (45%) showed significant reduction in both PImax and PEmax between the two measures. Respiratory and skeletal muscle weakness is present in a significant percentage of subjects undergoing pulmonary function testing in the post-HSCT period, and may contribute to pulmonary morbidity in subjects with pulmonary complications of HSCT.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Kelly Kirby for her help in preparing the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    A Kovalszki

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    G L Schumaker & A C White

  3. Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    A Klein

  4. Department of Medicine, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    N Terrin

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  1. A Kovalszki
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  2. G L Schumaker
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  4. N Terrin
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  5. A C White
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Correspondence to A C White.

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Kovalszki, A., Schumaker, G., Klein, A. et al. Reduced respiratory and skeletal muscle strength in survivors of sibling or unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 41, 965–969 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2008.15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2008.15

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