Protective Environment for Marrow Transplant Recipients

doi:10.1059/0003-4819-89-6-893

Protective Environment for Marrow Transplant Recipients

A Prospective Study

THE SEATTLE MARROW TRANSPLANT TEAM;
Seattle, Washington

Abstract

Laminar air flow isolation and decontamination procedures were evaluated in a prospective randomized study in patients with aplastic anemia or acute leukemia undergoing marrow transplantation from HLA-matched siblings. Patients transplanted in the laminar air flow group had significantly less septicemia and major local infections than did patients in the control group. Nineteen of 46 laminar air flow patients and six of 44 control patients are alive at present. In patients with aplastic anemia the survival was 13 of 17 in the laminar air flow group compared with four of 17 in the control group. In patients with acute leukemia the survival was six of 29 in the laminar air flow group versus two of 27 in the control group. These differences were not statistically significant. Death in both the laminar air flow and control groups was predominantly due to interstitial pneumonitis or recurrent leukemia, which were unaffected by isolation and decontamination.

Article and Author Information

▸From the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Seattle, Washington.
Grant support: Grant Nos. CA 18029, CA 17117, CA 15704 and CA 18579 awarded by the National Cancer Institute, DHEW. Dr. Thomas is a recipient of a Research Career Award AI 02425 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to C. Dean Buckner, M.D.; Division of Oncology; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; 1124 Columbia Street; Seattle, WA 98104.
- Received May 15, 1978.
- Accepted September 7, 1978.