thioguanine-anhydrous and Cross-Infection

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Cross Infection; Cytarabine; Daunorubicin; Humans; Leukemia; Middle Aged; Patient Care Planning; Prednisone; Thioguanine; Vincristine

Intensive care units for hematology or oncology patients consist of rooms free from pathogenic germs and low in microbe content. The units are staffed by doctors and nurses checked to be non carriers of pathogenic germs, and platelet and granulocyte transfusions are available. The first of these rooms, the Unit Fred-Siguier at the Hospital Paul-Brousse (Villejuif), was created for patients receiving bone marrow transplantation. Several units now exist in Europe. Results from two cooperative chemotherapy trials conducted at a European level showed that the number of remissions was double in services equipped with such rooms when compared with other hospital services. The study thus provides further evidence of the great need for such intensive care units.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Blood Transfusion; Bone Marrow Cells; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Cross Infection; Cytarabine; Daunorubicin; Hemorrhage; Humans; Immunosuppression Therapy; Infection Control; Intensive Care Units; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Patient Isolators; Thioguanine