Nutrition-Related Outcomes for Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Patients

Introduction: Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) patients are at risk for malnutrition before transplantation admission as well as malnutrition acquired during their transplantation admission.

Patients and methods: In this retrospective, observational study we examined data related to consecutive adults (n = 330) admitted for ASCT between 2014 and 2016 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Malnutrition risk on admission (identified by the Malnutrition Screening Tool) and transplantation-associated weight loss were analyzed for independent associations with hospital length of stay, nosocomial infection, intensive care unit transfer, deconditioning, time to platelet and neutrophil engraftment, 30-day readmission, and 1-year mortality.

Results: Adults with high malnutrition risk (n = 60) had a longer median hospital stay (P = .004), longer median time to platelet engraftment (P = .022), increased nosocomial infections (P = .047), and increased 1-year mortality (P = .036). Adults with high transplantation-associated weight loss (n = 100) experienced longer hospital stays (P < .001) and more intensive care unit transfers (P = .001). Outcomes for deconditioning, time to neutrophil engraftment, and 30-day readmission did not differ significantly on the basis of nutrition risk or weight loss.

Conclusion: Further research is needed to determine whether early nutrition intervention would improve these outcomes.