Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplant Guidelines
Below is a summary of the guidelines you will follow during transplant. Please refer to your BMT Manual for full guidelines and additional phone numbers.
Living Arrangements: You must live within 30 minutes of the hospital and have a caregiver for the first 30 days.
Call Immediately For:
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Fever of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher
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Signs of infection at your catheter site (pain, redness, drainage, burning, or stinging)
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Leaking or bleeding at your catheter insertion site. Damage to the catheter
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Gurgling noises coming from your catheter
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Coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath
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A racing or irregular heartbeat
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Uncontrolled diarrhea or vomiting
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Presence of blood in urine, dark red stool, vomiting blood or coffee-ground material, or nosebleed lasting longer than 15 minutes
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Shaking, chills, cough, sore throat, overall tiredness/flu-like symptoms, painful/frequent urination
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Fainting
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Too tired to get out of bed or move
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Disorientation/confusion
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Fall with injury or loss of consciousness
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Uncontrollable pain
Clinic Hours
Monday through Friday 7am-7pm
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays 8am-2pm
Where to Call: (913) 588-9821
Monday through Friday 7:00am to 5:00pm. This line is answered by a nurse in the clinic. After hours and holidays, the hospital operator will answer your call. Ask the operator to page the “BMT Doctor on Call.” Our doctors do their best to call you back as soon as possible. If they do not call within 15 minutes, please call the triage line again to have the provider paged again. Call 911 for any emergencies.
Limited Access (LA) Entrance
If you have symptoms of illness (fever, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, congestion, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or skin rash) we ask that you enter the clinic through our LA entrance, not through the main lobby. This entrance is located directly across from the elevators on the 3rd floor. Press the black pedal on the floor to notify the clinic staff to open the door for you.
Depending on your symptoms, clinic staff may wear yellow isolation gowns to prevent any contagious infections from spreading to other patients. This will usually continue until your symptoms go away.
Handwashing
We work hard to prevent any infections from spreading. The best way to prevent this is HANDWASHING. This can be done using soap and water or hand sanitizer. Another way to prevent spreading infections is to avoid shaking hands with anyone.
Temperature
Take your temperature every 4 hours while awake and record in the temperature log provided.
Clinic Visits
Vaccinations/ Exposures
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Avoid crowds, especially during cold and flu season. Avoid people with contagious infections or symptoms of illness (fever, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, congestion, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or skin rash).
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It is strongly encouraged that family members and individuals that you are in close contact with obtain a flu shot (influenza vaccination) (not nasal) during each flu season.
Nutrition Guidelines
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Fluids, calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals are necessary for you to regain your immunity, maintain or achieve your weight goal, strengthen your muscles, and to feel better.
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Continue to avoid herbal and other preparations, since they may contain harmful ingredients or infectious organisms. Herbs are not regulated for purity or for effect on health.
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If you rely on well water at home, it should be tested for coliforms and Cryptosporidium immediately prior to your return home after transplant. Please refer to your BMT manual for additional information regarding water safety.
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When your transplant provider says that you can stop the immunocompromised diet, continue to use care when purchasing foods, preparing meals and dining out. A situation where you cannot control the cleanliness of the food puts you at greater risk for getting a food-borne illness. Examples include salad bars, delis, bulk food bins, and free food samples offered in stores.
Daily Living
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Returning to Work or School: Returning to work or school will be evaluated on an individual basis. It may take as long as one year post transplant before you are ready to return to your normal work routine. Each situation is different; please talk to your provider before returning to work or school. Once you do return, you will probably need to start out part time and slowly work back up to full time.
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Avoiding Sun Exposure:Skin Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD) can be triggered and worsened by sun exposure. Wear a hat, long sleeves, long pants, and sunscreen to control skin GVHD caused by sun damage. Avoid sun exposure. Wear sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide with a minimum SPF of 30 for life, applying every two hours when needed.
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Planning Travel: You should not plan travel to developing countries for 6 to 12 months after transplant. You should avoid travel if you are on immunosuppressive treatment for GVHD.
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Spending Time with Children: Children under the age of 12 are not allowed in the clinic. If your children show signs of illness (fever, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, congestion, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or skin rash), ideally, they should go stay with someone else until they’re well. If this is not practical, you should carefully avoid contact with the sick child. Avoid contact with adults or children who have just received live vaccines.
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Living with your Pets: There are increased infection risks when in contact with animals.Avoid contact with urine, vomit, and stool of all animals as well as sleeping with pets. It is not recommended to bring new pets into the home during the first year, or thereafter, if on immunosuppression medications. You should avoid ill pets and verify your pets are up to date on their vaccinations. Good hand washing should be used if you come in contact with any animals.