Post-bone marrow transplant patient management

Increasingly, bone marrow transplant (BMT) is the treatment of choice for certain hematologic diseases. BMT is, however, a risky procedure with many potentially serious complications. Some complications are the result of the conditioning regimen, a stage of transplantation that includes large doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Conditioning-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia often result in infection, bleeding, and mucositis. Veno-occlusive disease (VOD), a chemotherapy-induced hepatotoxicity, can cause a mild to severe form of liver disease. Other complications are directly attributable to the engrafted new marrow. Graft-versus-host disease, a rejection process initiated by immunocompetent donor T lymphocytes, is a complication frequently observed in allogeneic BMT. Approximately 14-28 days after the day of transplant, signs of engraftment begin to appear. When specific discharge criteria are met, the BMT patient is discharged from the hospital. Specific follow-up medical care is ongoing for about one year after BMT.