Management of patients transferred to the ICU during the conditioning phase of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Excerpt

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with a variety of potential complications that may require admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) [1‐3]. Patients are at high risk for complications such as graft versus host disease and infections in the period following stem cell infusion and hematopoietic engraftment [4] as opposed to the early phase of conditioning therapy prior to graft infusion. Specific factors associated with transfer to the ICU before receiving the stem cell graft are less well documented. We examined the incidence and outcome of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation who were transferred to the ICU in the early phase prior to stem cell infusion to gain insight regarding this uncommon but important problem in the care of HSCT patients. …