Subject(s)
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy , Myelodysplastic Syndromes/therapy , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/methods , Humans , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/mortality , Middle Aged , Myelodysplastic Syndromes/diagnosis , Myelodysplastic Syndromes/mortality , Transplantation, Homologous , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Intensive care unit (ICU) admission is associated with high mortality in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Whether mortality has decreased recently is unknown. The 497 adult allogeneic HSCT recipients admitted to three ICUs between 1997 and 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Two hundred and nine patients admitted between 1997 and 2003 were compared with the 288 patients admitted from 2004 to 2011. Factors associated with 90-day mortality were identified. The recent cohort was characterized by older age, lower conditioning intensity, and greater use of peripheral blood or unrelated-donor graft. In the recent cohort, ICU was used more often for patients in hematological remission (67% vs 44%; P<0.0001) and without GVHD (73% vs 48%; P<0.0001) or invasive fungal infection (85% vs 73%; P=0.0003) despite a stable admission rate (21.7%). These changes were associated with significantly better 90-day survival (49% vs 31%). Independent predictors of hospital mortality were GVHD, mechanical ventilation (MV) and renal replacement therapy (RRT). Among patients who required MV or RRT, survival was 29% and 18%, respectively, but dropped to 18% and 6% in those with GVHD. The use of ICU admission has changed and translated into improved survival, but advanced life support in patients with GVHD usually provides no benefits.
Subject(s)
Critical Care/methods , Hematologic Neoplasms/mortality , Hematologic Neoplasms/therapy , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Postoperative Care/methods , Adult , Allografts , Disease-Free Survival , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Survival Rate , Unrelated DonorsABSTRACT
The use of steroids is not required in myeloid malignancies and remains controversial in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We sought to evaluate dexamethasone in patients with ALI/ARDS caused by acute monocytic leukaemia (AML FAB-M5) via either leukostasis or leukaemic infiltration. Dexamethasone (10 mg every 6 h until neutropenia) was added to chemotherapy and intensive care unit (ICU) management in 20 consecutive patients between 2005 and 2008, whose data were compared with those from 20 historical controls (1994-2002). ICU mortality was the primary criterion. We also compared respiratory deterioration rates, need for ventilation and nosocomial infections. 17 (85%) patients had hyperleukocytosis, 19 (95%) had leukaemic masses, and all 20 had severe pancytopenia. All patients presented with respiratory symptoms and pulmonary infiltrates prior to AML FAB-M5 diagnosis. Compared with historical controls, dexamethasone-treated patients had a significantly lower ICU mortality rate (20% versus 50%; p = 0.04) and a trend for less respiratory deterioration (50% versus 80%; p = 0.07). There were no significant increases in the rates of infections with dexamethasone. In conclusion, in patients with ALI/ARDS related to AML FAB-M5, adding dexamethasone to conventional chemotherapy seemed effective and safe. These results warrant a controlled trial of dexamethasone versus placebo in AML FAB-M5 patients with noninfectious pulmonary infiltrates.
