Hospital Readmissions Following HCT Severe in Nature

Opportunistic infections accounted for nearly one-fourth of all readmissions.

Recent study findings released by Chimerix, Inc illustrated the sensitivity of patients who have undergone autologous and allogeneic hematopoiectic cell transplant (HCT), also known as bone marrow or stem cell transplant. The study findings indicate a strong rate of hospital readmission following these procedures.

The study showed that hospital readmissions related to opportunistic infections accounted for approximately 25% of all readmissions. Additionally, 1 in 3 readmissions were due to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viral infections.

Among dsDNA viral infections diagnosed after discharge, almost half occurred within the first month after discharge. Hospital readmissions for patients following HCT were also reported to be major or extreme in severity.

“This is the first in a series of research studies we will be presenting that highlight the incidence and impact of dsDNA viruses in HCT and kidney transplant populations, as well as the associated healthcare costs of viral reactivation and hospital readmissions,” said W. Garrett Nichols, MD, MS, chief medical officer of Chimerix. “These data emphasize how fragile patients are following HCT, and the limitations of current treatments for dsDNA viruses. Because data show that these infections typically happen during the transplant hospitalization or soon after patients are discharged, medicines that may prevent viral reactivation and resulting hospital readmissions could play a critical role in the treatment of HCT patients and may potentially reduce the economic burden to the patient, their families and the health care system.”

Hospital readmissions related to HCT and dsDNA viral infections included approximately 65% cytomegalovirus (CMV), 13% BK virus, 5% adenovirus and 32% other dsDNA viral infections. Patients may have experienced more than one dsDNA viral infection, thus the number of hospital readmissions related to each virus was not mutually exclusive.

Other causes of readmission were graft-versus-host disease, renal impairment and neutropenia.