Abstract
Marrow transplant (MT) recipients can develop posttransplantation complications resulting in the need for long-term nutrition support. Medical records of 16 MT recipients were reviewed retrospectively to determine patient characteristics, hematologic and metabolic abnormalities, complications (bleeding, infection, and gastrointestinal complaints), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) status, nutrition data, and survival after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement. Eleven patients received allogeneic transplants and 5 were autologous recipients. The mean age was 42 years, with PEG placement occurring 5 months (mean) after transplantation. No significant bleeding or metabolic abnormalities developed as a result of PEG placement. Eleven of 16 patients acquired infections, and 8 of these patients were immunocompromised by medications or disease status. Patients did experience intermittent nausea, diarrhea, and high gastric residuals but these usually did not prohibit further feedings. Chronic GVHD was present in 8 patients and was the precipitating factor for PEG placement in 6 patients. Weight maintenance, a common nutritional goal, was achieved. Survival was 81% and 62% at 30 days and 1 year after transplantation, respectively. Nutrition support via PEG tube is viable in MT patients.
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