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Guidelines for preventing opportunistic infections among hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients
Insights
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients face increased risk of opportunistic infections (OIs). These guidelines offer evidence-based strategies to prevent OIs, improving patient outcomes and safety post-transplant.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Transplantation Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) increases susceptibility to opportunistic infections (OIs) including bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoal, and helminth pathogens.
- OIs can occur with increased frequency and severity in HSCT recipients, posing significant health risks.
- Current guidelines address prevention strategies for diverse HSCT types (allogeneic, autologous) and cell sources.
Framework:
- Evidence-based guidelines cosponsored by CDC, IDSA, and ABMT provide recommendations for OI prevention in HSCT recipients.
- Guidelines cover infection control, safe living post-transplant, vaccinations, and stem cell safety.
- Recommendations are strength-rated and evidence-quality assessed for clarity.
Implementation:
- Guidelines are intended for HSCT recipients, their contacts, physicians, HSCT center personnel, and public health professionals.
- Disease-specific sections address prevention for pediatric and adult patients undergoing autologous and allogeneic HSCT.
- Focus on preventing exposure and disease through comprehensive strategies.
Implications:
- Adherence to guidelines aims to reduce the incidence and severity of OIs in HSCT patients.
- Implementation can enhance patient safety and improve long-term outcomes for transplant survivors.
- Standardized prevention protocols support better management of infectious complications in HSCT care.
Abstract:
CDC, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation have cosponsored these guidelines for preventing opportunistic infections (OIs) among hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. The guidelines were drafted with the assistance of a working group of experts in infectious diseases, transplantation, and public health. For the purposes of this report, HSCT is defined as any transplantation of blood-or marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells, regardless of transplant type (i.e., allogeneic or autologous) or cell source (i.e., bone marrow, peripheral blood, or placental or umbilical cord blood). Such OIs as bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoal, and helminth infections occur with increased frequency or severity among HSCT recipients. These evidence-based guidelines contain information regarding preventing OIs, hospital infection control, strategies for safe living after transplantation, vaccinations, and hematopoietic stem cell safety. The disease-specific sections address preventing exposure and disease for pediatric and adult and autologous and allogeneic HSCT recipients. The goal of these guidelines is twofold: to summarize current data and provide evidence-based recommendations regarding preventing OIs among HSCT patients. The guidelines were developed for use by HSCT recipients, their household and close contacts, transplant and infectious diseases physicians, HSCT center personnel, and public health professionals. For all recommendations, prevention strategies are rated by the strength of the recommendation and the quality of the evidence supporting the recommendation. Adhering to these guidelines should reduce the number and severity of OIs among HSCT recipients.