ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To present our experience of post-transplant infections in allogeneic stem cell transplants at Sheikha Badryia Stem Cell Transplant Centre, Kuwait. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 21 consecutive patients with malignant and non-malignant hematological disorders who received a transplant of an unmanipulated bone marrow graft from an HLAidentical sibling donor from November 2011 to December 2013. Pre-transplant infection surveillance was carried out, and strict prophylaxis against infection was observed. Bone marrow stem cells were used as the stem cell source. Cyclosporin and methotrexate with or without mycophenolate mofetil/methylprednisolone were used as graftversus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. The engraftment was monitored with molecular analysis. Survival was calculated from the date of transplant to death or last follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients received allogeneic stem cell transplants from HLA- matched siblings for various hematological disorders. Twelve patients were female. The median age of the patient cohort was 34 years (range 3-41 years). All patients and donors were cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG-positive. Seventeen patients (80.95%) developed febrile episodes in different phases of post-transplant recovery. Posttransplant infections were confirmed in 20 patients (90.2%) on the basis of clinical assessment and microbiological, virological, and histopathological examination. Mortality related to infections and chronic graft versus host disease was one patient (4.8%). CONCLUSION: 90% of our patients developed febrile episodes with relatively low culture yield. The majority of infections were treated effectively.
