Publications by authors named "Hanifah Nabbanja"

Article Synopsis
  • Hematological cancers like Leukemias and Lymphomas can weaken immune responses, increasing the risk of infections including Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), particularly in febrile patients.
  • A study at the Uganda Cancer Institute found that 66% of 161 febrile hematological cancer patients had been exposed to HCMV, with 14.3% showing signs of active infection.
  • The findings suggest that routine HCMV testing in these patients is crucial for timely antiviral treatment to manage infections effectively.
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Blood transfusion is fundamental in managing hematologic malignancies. We sought to evaluate the need and availability of blood products for patients with hematological malignancies at Uganda Cancer Institute. We prospectively studied the demand and supply of blood for patients with thrombocytopenia (platelet count ≤50 × 10/L), anemia (hemoglobin ≤10 g/dL), and bleeding (WHO grade ≥2).

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Background: Despite the importance of platelet transfusions in treatment of hematologic cancer patients, the optimal platelet count threshold for prophylactic transfusion is unknown in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: We followed patients admitted to the Uganda Cancer Institute with a hematological malignancy in 3 sequential 4-month time-periods using incrementally lower thresholds for prophylactic platelet transfusion: platelet counts ≤ 30 x 109/L in period 1, ≤ 20 x 109/L in period 2, and ≤ 10 x 109/L in period 3. Clinically significant bleeding was defined as WHO grade ≥ 2 bleeding.

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