Viral Respiratory Tract Infections in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients in the Era of Molecular Testing

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2018.03.004Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Rhinovirus caused the majority of vRTI episodes in first 100 days following transplantation.

  • Progression to lower respiratory tract infection was seen in 30% of patients with vRTI.

  • vRTI in first 100 days after transplantation is associated with morbidity (ie, ICU admission).

  • All of the deaths in our study cohort occurred in patients who acquired vRTI within 30 days of transplantation.

  • Previous autologous transplantation is a significant risk factor for vRTI.

Abstract

Viral respiratory tract infection (vRTI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). This study aimed to assess the epidemiologic characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of vRTI occurring in the period from conditioning to 100 days after allo-HSCT in the era of molecular testing. This study was a retrospective record review of patients who underwent allo-HSCT at Royal Melbourne Hospital between January 2010 and December 2015. Symptomatic patients were tested using respiratory multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to identify risk factors for vRTI and the risk of death or intensive care unit (ICU) admission, respectively. A total of 382 patients were reviewed, and 65 episodes of vRTI were identified in 56 patients (14.7%). Rhinovirus accounted for the majority of infections (69.2%). The majority of episodes presented initially with upper respiratory tract infection (58.5%), with 28.9% of them progressing to lower respiratory tract infection. Eleven episodes (16.9%) were associated with ICU admission. There were no deaths directly due to vRTI. Previous autologous HSCT was associated with an increased risk of vRTI (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 4.1). The risks of death (P = .47) or ICU admission (P = .65) were not significantly different by vRTI status. vRTI is common in the first 100 days after allo-HSCT and is associated with ICU admission.

Key Words

Respiratory virus
Allogeneic
Risk factors
Outcomes

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Financial disclosure: See Acknowledgments on page 1495.

S.G.S. and B.W.T. contributed equally to this work.