ATI Hematologic System Related

Review ATI Hematologic System related questions and content

A 4-year-old girl with a history of relapsed pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is being admitted for unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation conditioning. Pretransplant workup shows the following: Recipient: CMV IgG: negative, CMV IgM: negative, HSV I/II antibody: negative, Varicella IgG: positive (vaccinated), Hepatitis B surface antigen: negative, Hepatitis B surface antibody: positive (vaccinated), Hepatitis B core antibody: negative, Hepatitis C antibody: negative. Donor: CMV IgG: negative, CMV IgM: negative, HSV I/II antibody: positive, Varicella IgG: positive, Hepatitis B surface antigen: negative, Hepatitis B core antibody: negative, Hepatitis C antibody: negative. How should the patient be managed during the admission with respect to infection prophylaxis?

  • A. Acyclovir IV for herpes simplex virus (HSV) suppression
  • B. Weekly screening by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for cytomegalovirus (CMV) in blood
  • C. Antifungal prophylaxis
  • D. Valganciclovir PO for CMV suppression
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Antifungal prophylaxis. In this case, the patient is at high risk for fungal infections post-transplant due to immunosuppression from the conditioning regimen. The patient is negative for CMV IgG and IgM, so CMV prophylaxis is not necessary (eliminating choices B and D). The patient is also negative for HSV antibodies, so acyclovir for HSV suppression is not indicated (eliminating choice A). Therefore, antifungal prophylaxis is the most appropriate choice to prevent fungal infections in this immunocompromised patient. It is essential to protect the patient from opportunistic infections, and antifungal prophylaxis is a crucial component of post-transplant care.