Predictors of mortality in patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation admitted to the intensive care unit. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2009;43:411-415. [PMID: 18936734 DOI: 10.1038/bmt.2008.336]

Intensive care unit admission rates and factors associated following Autologous stem cell transplantation-real-world experience from a tertiary center in rural India

PURPOSE

Infectious and other complications can necessitate admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) in autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Data on need for ICU care, impact of various pre- and peri-transplant characteristics on requirement of ICU care and outcomes are scarce from the developing world.

METHODS

A retrospective case record review of ASCT cases was conducted. Pre- and peri-transplant characteristics like infection within 4 weeks of transplant, mucositis, surveillance culture positivity, peri-transplant infections, comorbidity, and time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were noted.

RESULTS

A total of 109 patients underwent 109 ASCTs. Most common diagnosis was the plasma cell disorder in 75 (69%) patients. Forty-eight (45%) patients had peri-transplant infections. Fifteen (14%) patients had infections with multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms. Fifteen (14%) patients required ICU care, the most common reason being hypotension in nine patients (8.3%). Four patients (3.7%) required non-invasive ventilation, and one (0.9%) required invasive ventilation. Mortality rate was 1.8% (two patients). Factors associated with the need for ICU care were time to platelet engraftment (median 15 days among those required ICU care versus 13 days who did not, p = 0.04) and presence of peri-transplant infection showed a trend toward ICU care need (19% among those required ICU care versus 7% in those who did not, p = 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Delayed platelet engraftment was associated with the need for ICU care and peri-transplant infections were associated with a trend toward need for ICU care.

Prognostic Factors and Intensive Care Outcome in Post-Transplant Phase of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Intensive Care Outcome in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction

To identify new clinical and biologic parameters associated with short-term survival in allogeneic or autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) during their post-transplant period.

Materials and methods

40 patients who were admitted to the ICU in our center during their post-transplant period were evaluated retrospectively between Jan 2014 - Jun 2021. Baseline patient characteristics before the transplant, reasons for ICU admissions, laboratory and clinical findings, supportive treatment in ICU and short-term survival were analyzed.

Results

We found 8.8% ICU admission rate in all patient group (n = 450). Mortality rate of the patients who were admitted to ICU was 75%. Invasive mechanic ventilation, need for vasopressor, heart rate was significantly different between survivor and non-survivor group (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.004). Elevated INR was associated with poor survival on ICU (p = 0.033). APACHE II score was an independent predictor of ICU mortality (p = 0.045).

Conclusion

Despite the recent advances in transplant conditioning protocols, prophylaxis strategies and improvements of management in ICU, overall survival for HSCT patients in ICU is still poor. In this study INR level was described as a new prognostic factor in ICU for first time in the literature.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation admitted to the intensive care unit: a single-center retrospective analysis

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can be associated with adverse events necessitating treatment on the intensive care unit (ICU). Data focusing on patients admitted to the ICU during hospitalization for high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT are scarce. We thus conducted a single-center retrospective analysis comprising 79 individuals who had high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT between 2014 and 2020 and were admitted to the ICU between the initiation of conditioning therapy and day 30 after ASCT. The median age was 57 years (range: 20-82 years); 38% of patients were female. B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (34%) and plasma cell disorders (28%) were the most common indications for high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT. Sepsis represented the major cause for ICU admission (68%). Twenty-nine percent of patients required mechanical ventilation (MV), 5% had renal replacement therapy, and 44% needed vasopressors. The ICU, hospital, 90-day, and 1-year survival rates were 77.2%, 77.2%, 72.2%, and 60.3%, respectively. Stable disease or disease progression prior to the initiation of high-dose chemotherapy (p = 0.0028) and MV (p < 0.0001) were associated with an impaired survival. A total of 36 patients died during observation. The most frequent causes of death were the underlying malignancy (44%) and sepsis (39%). Taken together, the present analysis indicates a favorable overall outcome for patients admitted to the ICU during hospitalization for high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT. Thus, this patient group should not be denied admission and treatment on the ICU.

One-year mortality of hematopoietic stem cell recipients admitted to an intensive care unit in a dedicated Brazilian cancer center: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission early after transplantation have a poor prognosis. However, many studies have only focused on allogeneic HSCT recipients.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the characteristics of HSCT recipients admitted to the ICU shortly after transplantation and assess differences in 1-year mortality between autologous and allogeneic HSCT recipients.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A single-center retrospective cohort study in a cancer center in Brazil.

METHODS

We included all consecutive patients who underwent HSCT less than a year before ICU admission between 2009 and 2018. We collected clinical and demographic data and assessed the 1-year mortality of all patients. The effect of allogeneic HSCT compared with autologous HSCT on 1-year mortality risk was evaluated in an unadjusted model and an adjusted Cox proportional hazard model for age and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) at admission.

RESULTS

Of the 942 patients who underwent HSCT during the study period, 83 (8.8%) were included in the study (autologous HSCT = 57 [68.7%], allogeneic HSCT = 26 [31.3%]). At 1 year after ICU admission, 21 (36.8%) and 18 (69.2%) patients who underwent autologous and allogeneic HSCT, respectively, had died. Allogeneic HSCT was associated with increased 1-year mortality (unadjusted hazard ratio, HR = 2.79 [confidence interval, CI, 95%, 1.48-5.26]; adjusted HR = 2.62 [CI 95%, 1.29-5.31]).

CONCLUSION

Allogeneic HSCT recipients admitted to the ICU had higher short- and long-term mortality rates than autologous HSCT recipients, even after adjusting for age and severity at ICU admission.

BuCyE can safely replace BEAM as a conditioning regimen for autologous stem cell transplantation in the treatment of refractory and relapsed lymphomas

INTRODUCTION

Hodgkin's (HL) and non-Hodgkin's (NHL) lymphomas have usually high cure rates. The standard of care for chemosensitive relapsed/refractory lymphoma patients is salvage chemotherapy followed by AHSCT. Due to carmustine and melphalan shortages, alternative pre-AHSCT conditioning regimens with similar tolerance and response were needed.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy and toxicity profile between relapsed/refractory HL and NHL lymphomas given BEAM or BuCyE.

METHODS

A retrospective analyses of 122 patients in a Brazilian center was made. OS and PFS were calculated by Kaplan-Meier and compared by log rank. Toxicity and engraftment data were also compared.

RESULTS

Most clinical characteristics were similar between groups, although a higher frequency of grade ≥ 2 mucositis (p = .01) was seen in the BuCyE group. No significant difference in OS or PFS were observed between the groups.

CONCLUSION

BEAM and BuCyE are well tolerated with similar toxicity profiles and survival outcomes. Therefore, BuCyE conditioning regimen can be considered an alternative to BEAM.

Infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients admitted to Hematology intensive care unit: a single-center study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the data of HSCT patients who were admitted to our Hematology ICU due to infections or infectious complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HSCT patients who were admitted to our Hematology ICU between 01 January 2014 and 01 September 2017 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

62 HSCT patients were included in this study. The median age was 55.5 years and 58% of the patients were allogeneic HSCT patients. Major underlying hematologic disorders were multiple myeloma (29%) and lymphoma (27.4%). The most common reasons for ICU admission were sepsis/septic shock (61.3%) and acute respiratory failure (54.8%). Overall ICU mortality rate was 45.2%. However, a lot of factors were related with ICU mortality of HSCT patients in univariate analysis, only APACHE II score was found to be an independent risk factor for ICU mortality. While there was infection in 58 patients at ICU admission, new infections developed in 38 patients during ICU stay. The most common new infection was pneumonia/VAP, while the most frequently isolated bacteria were Acinetobacter baumannii. Length of ICU stay, sepsis/septic shock as a reason for ICU admission and the presence of urinary catheter at ICU admission were determined factors for ICU-acquired infections. There was no difference between autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplant patients in terms of ICU morbidities and mortality. However, pneumonia/VAP developed in the ICU was higher in autologous HSCT patients, while bloodstream/catheter-related bloodstream infection was higher in allogeneic HSCT patients.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that early or late post-HSCT infections and related complications (sepsis, organ failure, etc.) constituted a major part of the reasons for ICU admission, ICU mortality and ICU morbidities.

Outpatient autologous stem cell transplantation in Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania: a single-centre, retrospective review in the Australian setting

BACKGROUND

Several international centres have published their experiences with outpatient autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as treatment of haematological malignancies.

AIM

In this single-centre retrospective review, we aim to examine the outcomes of outpatient autograft and review healthcare resource utilization in the pre-cytopenic period.

METHODS

Patients undergoing ASCT in Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania between 2008 and 2018 had their records reviewed and key outcomes data collected based upon whether they received inpatient/outpatient ASCT. An outpatient ASCT was defined as conditioning as an outpatient; patients could then be managed with an elective admission during the cytopenic period or admission only when clinically indicated.

RESULTS

Of 231 ASCTs performed, 135 (58%) were as outpatients ASCTs: 59 used carmustine-etoposide-cytarabine-melphalan-conditioning for lymphoma (BEAM-ASCT) and 76 used high dose melphalan for myeloma and amyloidosis (MEL-ASCT). Approximately one-third of patients undergoing outpatient ASCT were admitted electively during nadir period; the majority of patients required minimal interventions prior to this time. The most common causes for unplanned hospitalization (which occurred in 71 of the 89 planned outpatient transplants, 80%) were febrile neutropenia (39%) and mucositis (35%). Age was the only risk factor identified to increase risk of requiring unplanned hospitalization. Use of oral antibiotic prophylaxis reduced febrile neutropenia rates amongst melphalan-outpatient-ASCT. Outpatient-ASCTs led to significantly reduced inpatient bed-days and overall cost (approximately AUD $13000- $16,000) compared with inpatient autografts, with no significant differences in engraftment, rates of febrile neutropenia, intensive care admissions or mortality.

CONCLUSION

Outpatient autografts may save healthcare resources without compromising patient outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of bone marrow transplantation patients presenting to the ED of a tertiary care center

BACKGROUND

Bone marrow transplantation is a breakthrough in the world of hematology and oncology. In our region, there is scarce literature studying emergency department visits among BMT patients, as well as their predictors of mortality.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the frequency, reasons, clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients presenting to the ED after a BMT, and to study the predictors of mortality in those patients. This study also compares those variables among the different types of BMT.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study conducted on all adult patients who have completed a successful BMT and visited the ED.

RESULTS

Our study included 115 BMT patients, of whom 17.4% died. Those who died had a higher median number of ED visits than those who did not die. Around 36.5% presented with fever/chills with 29.6% diagnosed with pneumonia on discharge. We found that the odds of mortality were significantly higher among those who presented with dyspnea (p < .0005) and AMS (p = .023), among septic patients (p = .001), those who have undergone allogeneic BMT (p = .037), and those who were admitted to the ICU (p = .002). Moreover, the odds of mortality were significantly higher among hypotensive (p ≤0005) and tachycardic patients (p = .015).

CONCLUSION

In our study, we have shown that BMT patients visit the ED very frequently and have high risk of in-hospital mortality. Moreover, our study showed a significant association between mortality and patients with dyspnea, AMS, sepsis, allogeneic BMT type, ICU admission, hypotension and tachycardia.

Predicting Mortality after Autologous Transplant: Development of a Novel Risk Score

There have been several efforts to predict mortality after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), such as the hematopoietic cell transplant-comorbidity index (HCT-CI), described for allogeneic stem cell transplantation and validated for ASCT, but there is no composite score in the setting of ASCT combining comorbidities with other clinical characteristics. Our aim is to describe a comprehensive score combining comorbidities with other clinical factors and to analyze the impact of this score on nonrelapse mortality (NRM), overall survival (OS), and early morbidity endpoints (mechanical ventilation, shock or dialysis) after ASCT. For the training cohort, we retrospectively reviewed data of 2068 adult patients who received an ASCT in Argentina (October 2002 to June 2017) for multiple myeloma or lymphoma. For the validation cohort, we analyzed 2168 ASCTs performed in the Medical College of Wisconsin and Spanish stem cell transplant group (Grupo Español de Trasplante Hematopoyético (GETH)) (January 2012 to December 2018). We first performed a multivariate analysis for NRM in order to select and assign weight to the risk factors included in the score (male patients, aged 55 to 64 and ≥65 years, HCT-CI ≥3, Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma). The hazard ratio for NRM increased proportionally with the score. Patients were grouped as low risk (LR) with a score of 0 to 1 (686, 33%), intermediate risk (IR) with a score of 2 to 3 (1109, 53%), high risk (HR) with a score of 4 (198, 10%), and very high risk (VHR) with a score of ≥5 (75, 4%). The score was associated with a progressive increase in all the early morbidity endpoints. Moreover, the score was significantly associated with early NRM (day 100: 1.5% versus 2.4% versus 7.6% versus 17.6%) as well as long term (1 to 3 years; 1.8% to 2.3% versus 3.8% to 4.9% versus 11.7% to 14.5% versus 25.0% to 27.4%, respectively; P< .0001) and OS (1 to 5 years; 94% to 73% versus 89% to 75% versus 76% to 47% versus 65% to 52% respectively; P < .0001). The score was validated in an independent cohort (N = 2168) and was significantly associated with early and late events. In conclusion, we developed and validated a novel score predicting NRM and OS in 2 large cohorts of more than 2000 autologous transplant patients. This tool can be useful for tailoring conditioning regimens or defining risk for transplant program decision making.

Intensive Care Outcomes of Patients after High Dose Chemotherapy and Subsequent Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: A Retrospective, Single Centre Analysis

High dose chemotherapy (HDT) followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is standard of care including a curative treatment option for several cancers. While much is known about the management of patients with allogenic SCT at the intensive care unit (ICU), data regarding incidence, clinical impact, and outcome of critical illness following ASCT are less reported. This study included 256 patients with different cancer entities. Median age was 56 years (interquartile ranges (IQR): 45–64), and 67% were male. One-year survival was 89%; 15 patients (6%) required treatment at the ICU following HDT. The main reason for ICU admission was septic shock (80%) with the predominant focus being the respiratory tract (53%). Three patients died, twelve recovered, and six (40%) were alive at one-year, resulting in an immediate treatment-related mortality of 1.2%. Independent risk factors for ICU admission were age (odds ratio (OR) 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.09; p = 0.043), duration of aplasia (OR: 1.37; CI: 1.07–1.75; p = 0.013), and Charlson comorbidity score (OR: 1.64; CI: 1.20–2.23; p = 0.002). HDT followed by ASCT performed at an experienced centre is generally associated with a low risk for treatment related mortality. ICU treatment is warranted mainly due to infectious complications and has a strong positive impact on intermediate-term survival.

What the Intensivist Needs to Know About Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation?

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potential curative therapy for some patients with hematologic conditions. There are two main types of HSCT. This includes autologous HSCT, for which the stem cells are obtained from the patient, and allogeneic HSCT, for which the stem cells are obtained from a related or unrelated donor. The most common indications for autologous stem cell transplant are multiple myeloma and relapsed/refractory lymphoma, whereas leukemia and bone marrow failure syndromes remain the most common indications for allogeneic stem cell transplant. This chapter will review the different types, indications, processes, and main complications of HSCT. This chapter will also discuss end-of-life issues that patients and providers face when transplant patients are admitted for the intensive care unit.

Prognostic factors and outcome of adult allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients admitted to intensive care unit during transplant hospitalization

Patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have a high morbidity and mortality, especially after admission to intensive care unit (ICU) during peri-transplant period. The objective of this study was to identify new clinical and biological parameters and validate prognostic scores associated with ICU, short-and long-term survival. Significant differences between ICU survivors and ICU non-survivors for the clinical parameters invasive mechanical ventilation, urine output, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and amount of vasopressors have been measured. Among prognostic scores (SOFA, SAPSII, PICAT, APACHE II, APACHE IV) assessing severity of disease and predicting outcome of critically ill patients on ICU, the APACHE II score has shown most significant difference (p = 0.002) and the highest discriminative power (area under the ROC curve (AUC) 0.74). An elevated level of lactate at day of admission was associated with poor survival on ICU and the most significant independent parameter (p < 0.001). In our cohort kidney damage with low urine output has a highly relevant impact on ICU, short- and long-term overall survival. The APACHE II score was superior predicting ICU mortality compared to all other tested prognostic scores for patients on ICU during peri-transplant period.

Are We Choosing Wisely With Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Screening? The Utility of Pulmonary Function Testing Prior to Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

INTRODUCTION

Despite the risk of morbidity and mortality associated with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (ASCT), there are no clear guidelines as to how to screen for these risks. This study sought to determine the utility of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) prior to ASCT on predicting posttransplant clinical outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients undergoing ASCT between 2010 and 2012 at the Ottawa Hospital (n = 172) were reviewed. PFT results prior to ASCT were retrieved. The primary outcomes were incidence of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, Seattle Criteria for pulmonary toxicities, and transplant-related mortality (TRM).

RESULTS

PFTs were performed for 91 (53%) patients prior to ASCT. There were more smokers in the PFT cohort than the non-PFT cohort (41.8% vs. 19.8%, respectively; P < .0001). Pulmonary toxicity as measured by the Seattle Criteria did not correlate with PFT results (normal vs. abnormal, 8.1% and 6.1%, respectively; P = 1.00). There were no differences in incidence of ICU admission by PFT result (normal vs. abnormal, 2.7% vs. 8.2%, respectively; P = .61) and no difference in TRM by PFT result (normal vs. abnormal, 0% vs. 2.0%, respectively; P = 1.00).

CONCLUSION

Despite testing patients deemed higher risk for pulmonary toxicity, abnormal PFTs did not predict for an increased risk of pulmonary toxicity, ICU admission, or TRM at our center.

Nutrition Care of Critically Ill Patients with Leukemia: A Retrospective Study

Adults with acute leukemia (AL) are at high risk of malnutrition due to their disease and treatment side effects and may be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), further increasing the risk of malnutrition. Although ICU care includes some form of nutrition, patients typically receive less than prescribed energy and protein. Our objective was to characterize the nutrition care for critically ill patients with AL. We completed a retrospective review of adults with AL admitted to the Medical/Surgical ICU >24 hours. Descriptive statistics were performed on collected data including: demographics, APACHE II and Nutric scores, nutrition therapy, reasons for withholding nutrition, and mortality status at discharge. Data were collected on 154 AL patients with an average APACHE II score of 27 and Nutric score of 5.96. ICU mortality was 36%. Enteral nutrition (EN) was most commonly prescribed. Patients on EN received 55% of energy and 51% of protein prescribed. EN was commonly withheld for airway management and gastrointestinal impairment. Patients with AL received low amounts of energy and protein in the ICU and had a high Nutric score. Strategies and barriers to improve protein intake in this population are identified.

Predictors of outcome in patients with hematologic malignancies admitted to the intensive care unit

PURPOSE

Several studies showed conflicting results about prognosis and predictors of outcome of critically ill patients with hematological malignancies (HM). The aim of this study is to determine the hospital outcome of critically ill patients with HM and the factors predicting the outcome.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

All patients with HM admitted to MICU at a tertiary academic medical center were enrolled. Clinical data upon admission and during ICU stay were collected. Hospital, ICU, and 6 months outcomes were documented.

RESULTS

There were 130 HM patients during the study period. Acute Leukemia was the most common malignancy (31.5%) followed by Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (28.5%). About 12.5% patients had autologous HSCT and 51.5% had allogeneic HSCT. Sepsis was the most common ICU diagnosis (25.9%). ICU mortality and hospital mortality were 24.8% and 45.3%, respectively. Six months mortality (available on 80% of patients) was 56.7%. Hospital mortality was higher among mechanically ventilated patients (75%). Using multivariate analysis, only mechanical ventilation (OR of 19.0, CI: 3.1-117.4, P: 0.001) and allogeneic HSCT (OR of 10.9, CI: 1.8-66.9, P: 0.01) predicted hospital mortality.

CONCLUSION

Overall hospital outcome of critically ill patients with HM is improving. However those who require mechanical ventilation or underwent allogeneic HSCT continue to have poor outcome.

The prognostic value of a trend in modified SOFA score for patients with hematological malignancies in the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Patients with hematological malignancies admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) have a poor prognosis. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is used to monitor patients on the ICU. Little is known about the value of this score in hematology patients. Therefore, the prognostic value of the SOFA score and a modified hematological SOFA score (SOFAhem) was studied.

METHODS

Patients with hematological malignancies admitted to the ICU between 1999 and 2009 were analyzed in a retrospective cohort study. The SOFAhem score was defined as the original SOFA score omitting the coagulation and neurological parameters.

RESULTS

In 149 admissions, ICU mortality was 52%. Mortality was significantly associated with higher SOFA and SOFAhem scores on admission, and trend in SOFAhem scores. An unchanged and increased SOFAhem score compared to decreasing SOFAhem scores was associated with a higher mortality rate (53% resp 67% resp 25%).

CONCLUSIONS

Trends in SOFA or SOFAhem score are both suitable as prognostic parameter. The trend in SOFAhem score seems to be independently related to mortality in hematological patients admitted to the ICU, and because of the higher odds ratios and lower P-values compared to the SOFA score, it is probably stronger related to mortality than the classical score, but its prognostic value should be tested in a larger cohort.

Critical Care Prognosis and Outcomes in Patients with Cancer

Advances in cancer treatment and patient survival are associated with increasing number of these patients requiring intensive care. Over the last 2 decades, there has been a steady improvement in the outcomes of critically ill patients with cancer. This review provides data on the use of the intensive care unit (ICU) and short and long-term outcomes of critically ill patients with cancer, the ICU system practices that influence patients outcomes, and the role of the different clinical variables in predicting the prognosis of these patients.

Critical care of patients with cancer

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE The increasing prevalence of patients living with cancer in conjunction with the rapid progress in cancer therapy will lead to a growing number of patients with cancer who will require intensive care treatment. Fortunately, the development of more effective oncologic therapies, advances in critical care, and improvements in patient selection have led to an increased survival of critically ill patients with cancer. As a consequence, critical care has become an important cornerstone in the continuum of modern cancer care. Although, in many aspects, critical care for patients with cancer does not differ from intensive care for other seriously ill patients, there are several challenging issues that are unique to this patient population and require special knowledge and skills. The optimal management of critically ill patients with cancer necessitates expertise in oncology, critical care, and palliative medicine. Cancer specialists therefore have to be familiar with key principles of intensive care for critically ill patients with cancer. This review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art in the individualized management of critically ill patients with cancer. CA Cancer J Clin 2016;66:496-517. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Prognostic factors and outcome of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation who are admitted to pediatric intensive care unit

Background

There are many studies about the prognosis and possible predictive factors of mortality for pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients requiring pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) treatment, but the related study in China is lacking. This study investigates the data of these special patients in our center.

Methods

This retrospective analysis is based on data from bone marrow center and PICU of our hospital. A total of 302 patients received allogeneic HSCT from January 2000 to December 2012, 29 of them were admitted to PICU because of various complications developed after transplantation. We collected the clinical data, identified the reasons why the patients to PICU, analyzed the mortality of these patients in PICU, and the prognostic factors of these patients.

Results

The main reasons for admission were: respiratory failure (62.07 %), neurological abnormities (13.79 %), renal failure (13.79 %) and others (10.35 %). Twenty-one cases (72.41 %) died. Compared with survivors, the deaths cases had lower pediatric critical illness score (77 vs. 88, p = 0.004); higher levels of lactic acid and serum urea nitrogen (4.02 vs. 1.19 mmol/L, P = 0.008;11.56 vs. 7.13 m moll /L, P = 0.045); more organs damaged (2.05 vs. 1.38, P = 0.01), and required more supportive treatments (1.52 vs. 0.63, P = 0.02). Univariate analysis identified pediatric critical illness score, use of mechanical ventilation, and the number of supportive treatment as the significant predictors to prognosis. Multivariate analysis by regression showed that pediatric critical illness score was the only independent prognostic factor (P = 0.035).

Conclusions

In our study, pediatric allogeneic HSCT recipients who had PICU care had a high rate of mortality. Pediatric critical illness score was the independent prognostic factor for these patients.

Short- and long-term outcomes of adult allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients admitted to the intensive care unit in the peritransplant period

Survival of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) recipients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been poor. We retrospectively analyzed the short- and long-term outcomes of aHSCT patients admitted to the ICU over a 12-year period. Of 1235 adult patients who had aHSCT between 2002 and 2013, 161 (13%) were admitted to the ICU. The impact of clinical parameters was assessed and outcomes were compared for the periods 2002-2007 and 2008-2013. The ICU, in-hospital, 1- and 5-year survival rates were 64.6%, 46%, 33% and 20%, respectively. Mechanical ventilation and vasopressor use predicted for worse hospital- and overall survival (OS). After 2008, the requirement for mechanical ventilation and vasopressors, and the diagnosis of sepsis were reduced. While hospital mortality decreased from 69% to 44%, long-term survival (LTS) remained unchanged. Late deaths, due to causes not associated with the ICU such as relapse and graft-versus-host disease, increased. As thresholds for transplant are lowered, improvements in ICU outcomes for aHSCT recipients may be limited.

Intensive care outcomes in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients

Although outcomes of intensive care for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have improved in the last two decades, the short-term mortality still remains above 50% among allogeneic HSCT patients. Better selection of HSCT patients for intensive care, and consequently reduction of non-beneficial care, may reduce financial costs and alleviate patient suffering. We reviewed the studies on intensive care outcomes of patients undergoing HSCT published since 2000. The risk factors for intensive care unit (ICU) admission identified in this report were primarily patient and transplant related: HSCT type (autologous vs allogeneic), conditioning intensity, HLA mismatch, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). At the same time, most of the factors associated with ICU outcomes reported were related to the patients’ functional status upon development of critical illness and interventions in ICU. Among the many possible interventions, the initiation of mechanical ventilation was the most consistently reported factor affecting ICU survival. As a consequence, our current ability to assess the benefit or futility of intensive care is limited. Until better ICU or hospital mortality prediction models are available, based on the available evidence, we recommend practitioners to base their ICU admission decisions on: Patient pre-transplant comorbidities, underlying disease status, GVHD diagnosis/grade, and patients’ functional status at the time of critical illness.

The intensive care management process in patients with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and factors affecting their prognosis

OBJECTIVES

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients may require further management in intensive care unit (ICU). The ICU outcome of the HSCT recipients is claimed to have improved significantly over the last two decades. Our aim was to investigate the ICU outcome of the HSCT recipients who required management in ICU, together with the factors that are likely to affect the results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively investigated the ICU outcome of 48 adults (≥18 years of age) who received HSCT in the bone marrow transplant unit of our hospital and required admission to ICU between 01 January 2007 and 31 December 2010. The data were retrieved from the databases of the adult bone marrow transplantation unit and the ICU.

RESULTS

Sixty-one percent of the patients were male with a median age of 39 years (28-46.75) in the study cohort. Leukemia (54%) and lymphoma (27%) were the leading underlying disorders. The type of HSCT was autologous in 14.6% and allogeneic in 85.4% of the patients. The reason for admission to ICU was acute respiratory failure in 85.5% of the HSCT recipients and 75% had sepsis/septic shock. The mean duration of ICU stay was 104.5 (48-168) hours. Sixty-nine percent of the patients died during their ICU stay while 31% survived. Besides the several statistically significant differences between the patients who survived or died in ICU in univariate analysis, baseline Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.79) and requirement of vasopressors in the ICU (odds ratio 72.29, 95% confidence interval:4.47-1169.91) were found to be independent risk factors for mortality in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Baseline APACHE II score and requirement of vasopressors during ICU stay were the most significant independent risk factors for mortality in HSCT recipients who required ICU management in our center.

Hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index predicts inpatient mortality and survival in patients who received allogeneic transplantation admitted to the intensive care unit

PURPOSE

To investigate the prognostic value of the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) in patients who received transplantation admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We investigated the association of HCT-CI with inpatient mortality and overall survival (OS) among 377 patients who were admitted to the ICU within 100 days of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) at our institution. HCT-CI scores were collapsed into four groups and were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

The most common pretransplantation comorbidities were pulmonary and cardiac diseases, and respiratory failure was the primary reason for ICU admission. We observed a strong trend for higher inpatient mortality and shorter OS among patients with HCT-CI values ≥ 2 compared with patients with values of 0 to 1 in all patient subsets studied. Multivariate analysis showed that patients with HCT-CI values ≥ 2 had significantly higher inpatient mortality than patients with values of 0 to 1 and that HCT-CI values ≥ 4 were significantly associated with shorter OS compared with values of 0 to 1 (hazard ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.47). The factors associated with lower inpatient mortality were ICU admission during the ASCT conditioning phase or the use of reduced-intensity conditioning regimens. The overall inpatient mortality rate was 64%, and the 1-year OS rate was 15%. Among patients with HCT-CI scores of 0 to 1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4, the 1-year OS rates were 22%, 17%, 18%, and 9%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

HCT-CI is a valuable predictor of mortality and survival in critically ill patients after ASCT.

Clinical presentation and outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease patients admitted to the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Disease severity, immunosuppression, and malnutrition may impact morbidity and mortality of the critically ill patient with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to identify potential predictive factors for mortality among IBD patients requiring admission to an intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

All patients with an admitting diagnosis of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease presenting to the ICU at the Mount Sinai Medical Center from 2003 to 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. Data regarding IBD-specific features, medications, and surgical outcomes were collected as well as ICU-related morbidity and 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

Ninety-five patients were admitted to the ICU out of a total of 6663 IBD-related hospital admissions with an overall 30-day mortality rate of 18.9%. The annual number of ICU admissions of all hospitalized IBD patients increased from 0.1% in 2003 to 2.6% of admissions in 2008. ICU-related variables associated with increased mortality included mechanical ventilation (P=0.0002), vasopressor requirement (P=0.0002), severe sepsis (P=0.0005), acute kidney injury (P=0.001), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores (P ≤ 0.0001), hypoalbuminemia (P=0.036), and thromboembolism (P=0.046). On multivariate analysis, elevated Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores were the only independent predictor of mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the overall number of ICU admissions among IBD patients was low, the annual incidence rates of admissions are increasing. This patient subgroup had significant in-hospital morbidity and 30-day mortality. Earlier identification of potential risk factors leading to poorer outcome, particularly within the first 24 hours of ICU admission, may impact the triage and subsequent management of these critically ill patients.

Infection in neutropenic patients with cancer

Neutropenic fever sepsis syndromes are common among patients with cancer who are receiving intensive cytotoxic systemic therapy. Recognition of the syndromes and timely initial antibacterial therapy is critical for survival and treatment success. Outcomes are linked to myeloid reconstitution and recovery from neutropenia, control of active comorbidities, and appropriate treatment of the infections that underlie the sepsis syndrome. Hematologists and oncologists must be clear about the prognosis and treatment goals to work effectively with critical care physicians toward the best outcomes for patients with cancer who develop neutropenic sepsis syndromes.

Use of mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy in critically ill hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a treatment option for both malignant and nonmalignant disorders. HSCT patients remain at high risk for multiorgan failure, with previous studies noting mortality rates exceeding 90% when mechanical ventilation (MV) is required. We propose that advancements in critical care management and HSCT practices have improved these dismal outcomes. We performed a retrospective review of admissions to our bone marrow transplant unit between 2006 and 2010. All HSCT recipients requiring admission to the bone marrow transplant unit who received MV or renal replacement therapy (RRT) were evaluated. A total of 68 patients required MV. Twenty patients required RRT, all of whom required MV. Fifty-nine of the 68 ventilated patients died, for an overall mortality rate of 86.8%. The presence of renal failure and concomitant respiratory or liver dysfunction at the time of intubation was associated with a mortality rate of 100%. High mortality persists in our HSCT population requiring artificial support despite overall advances in critical care and HSCT practices. Critical care triage and management decisions in this high-risk population remain challenging.

The Outcomes of Adult Patients with Haematological Malignancy Requiring Admission to the Intensive Care Unit

A literature review was conducted to ascertain the prognosis of patients with haematological malignancies admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and to identify any factors that could be shown to influence outcome. Studies that examined outcomes among patients with haematological malignancy admitted to ICU were evaluated. Pooled outcome data relating to ICU, hospital and six-month mortality were compiled. A qualitative assessment of the evidence relating to putative determinants of prognosis was made. Observational studies examining outcomes among over 10,000 haematological malignancy patients admitted to the ICU were identified. Approximately 40% of such patients survived until hospital discharge. The principle determinants of short-term survival would appear to be related to the severity of the acute illness and the consequent physiological derangement or organ system dysfunction. In the longer term, factors relating to the prognosis of the underlying malignancy appear to be important.

Impact of critical care outreach on hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: a cohort study

Serious morbidity and mortality can occur after hematopoietic SCT (HSCT). Critical care outreach (CCO) can provide timely access to intensive care for hospitalized patients in need of urgent stabilization but has not been examined in HSCT. Rapid Assessment of Critical Events (RACE) team was introduced at our centre January 1, 2005. A retrospective cohort study was performed. Patients undergoing HSCT between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2004 (n=520) formed the 'before' cohort and patients transplanted between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007 (n=294) formed the 'after' cohort. Non-relapse mortality at day 100 after transplant was not different in the two cohorts (26 (8.8%) post-RACE vs 53 (10.2%) pre-RACE, P=0.62). The number of failed organs at time of transfer to intensive care unit (ICU) was reduced in the post-RACE cohort (1.9 ± 0.8 vs 2.3 ± 1.0, P=0.04) and the incidence of cardiovascular failure was lower (23.8 vs 43.8%, P=0.04). Other secondary outcomes were not different, including the frequency of ICU admission. RACE may contribute to earlier stabilization during critical illness in patients undergoing HSCT but does not reduce non-relapse mortality. CCO should be studied prospectively in patients undergoing HSCT to better evaluate its role.

Critical care of the hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient

An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 patients undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) worldwide annually, of which 15.7% are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The most common reason for ICU admission is respiratory failure and almost all develop single or multiorgan failure. Most HSCT recipients admitted to ICU receive invasive mechanical ventilation (MV). The overall short-term mortality rate of HSCT recipients admitted to ICU is 65%, and 86.4% for those receiving MV. Patient outcome has improved over time. Poor prognostic indicators include advanced age, poor functional status, active disease at transplant, allogeneic transplant, the severity of acute illness, and the development of multiorgan failure. ICU resource limitations often lead to triage decisions for admission. For HSCT recipients, the authors recommend (1) ICU admission for full support during their pre-engraftment period and when there is no evidence of disease recurrence; (2) no ICU admission for patients who refuse it and those who are bedridden with disease recurrence and without treatment options except palliation; (3) a trial ICU admission for patients with unknown status of disease recurrence with available treatment options.

Sequential Organ Failure Assessment predicts the outcome of SCT recipients admitted to intensive care unit

We analyzed all patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) from January 1995 to December 2005. During this period, 661 patients underwent ASCT at our center. A total of 91 patients were admitted to the ICU. Median time from ASCT to ICU admission was 69 days (-24 to 1572) and median stay at the ICU was 4 (1-60) days. The survival after transfer to the ICU at day 100 and at 1 year was 22 and 16%, respectively. Median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 10 (1-17). Patients with SOFA score <8 (n=18) had a 44% survival compared with 17% with SOFA score 8-11 (n=30) and no survival with SOFA score >11 (n=20) (P=0.0002). None of the 14 retransplanted patients survived compared with 31% among patients after first ASCT (P=0.006). Patients receiving TBI had a lower survival compared with patients treated with chemotherapy only (14 vs 45%, P=0.02). Patients needing vasopressor support had a worse survival, 15 vs 41%, compared with patients without vasopressor treatment (P=0.01). In multivariate analysis of death, SOFA score was the only significant factor (P<0.001). In conclusion, SOFA score predicted prognosis in ASCT patients treated at the ICU.

Critical care management of cancer patients: cause for optimism and need for objectivity

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In the 1990s, cancer patients were described as poor candidates for ICU admission on the basis of high mortality rates and management costs. Over the last decade, however, advances in the management of malignancies and organ failures have led to substantial increases in survival. This review discusses current outcomes of critically ill cancer patients and recent insights into prognostic factors. Persistent areas of uncertainty are emphasized.

RECENT FINDINGS

New drugs, diagnostic tools, and management strategies are available for malignancies and organ failures. Survival after ICU admission has increased in patients with solid tumors, hematological malignancies, or autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation. A few patient subgroups remain poor candidates for ICU management (i.e., allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients and patients with advanced lung cancer). Careful evaluation of potential benefits from ICU admission is crucial to limit inappropriate ICU admission, nonbeneficial care, and suboptimal resource utilization.

SUMMARY

ICU admission of selected cancer patients leads to meaningful survival. The optimal time of ICU admission needs to be determined, and patient selection criteria by both hemato-oncologists and intensivists should be improved. Long-term studies of overall survival, disease-free survival, and quality of life are needed.