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Viral Infections

Respiratory syncytial virus infection following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 29, pages 321–327 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus, one of the most common causes of respiratory infections in immunocompetent individuals, is frequently spread to recipients of HSCT by family members, other patients, and health care workers. In immunosuppressed individuals, progression from upper respiratory tract disease to pneumonia is common, and usually fatal if left untreated. We performed a retrospective analysis of RSV infections in recipients of autologous or allogeneic transplants. The incidence of RSV following allogeneic or autologous HSCT was 5.7% and 1.5%, respectively. Of the 58 patients with an RSV infection, 16 of 21 patients identified within the first post-transplant month, developed pneumonia. Seventy-two percent of patients received aerosolized ribavirin and/or RSV-IGIV, including 23 of 25 patients diagnosed with RSV pneumonia. In this aggressively treated patient population, three patients died of RSV disease, each following an unrelated HSCT.

Bone Marrow Transplantation (2002) 29, 321–327. doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1703365

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by PO1 CA23766 from the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    TN Small, A Casson & F Boulad

  2. Department of Medicine, Infectious Disease Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    SF Malak & KA Sepkowitz

  3. Department of Clinical Laboratories, Microbiology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    TE Kiehn & J Stiles

  4. Department of Pediatrics, New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    HM Ushay

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  1. TN Small
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Small, T., Casson, A., Malak, S. et al. Respiratory syncytial virus infection following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 29, 321–327 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1703365

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