[Infection prevention in secondary immunodeficiencies].

Over one million people in The Netherlands are estimated having an immunodeficiency, of which the majority has an acquired immunodeficiency due to immunosuppressive medication. These patients are at risk for a more severe course of common infections, and also for opportunistic infections and viral reactivations. The following topics are discussed: types of immunodeficiency and how to estimate its severity; commonly seen infections in immunocompromised patients; recommended screening before start of immunosuppressive medication; pitfalls in clinical clues and diagnostics, and safety and immunogenicity of vaccination in these patients.

Vena Cava Superior Syndrome Six Years after Central Venous Catheter Removal in a Patient on Hemodialysis.

Vena cava superior (VCS) syndrome is rarely seen as a complication of central-venous-catheter placement. Usually, the syndrome appears when the presence of the catheter causes intraluminal obstruction or thrombosis. In this case report, however, we describe a patient on intermittent hemodialysis who had been free of any venous central line for over 6 years, presented with a VCS syndrome.

Vaccine Responses in Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients: A Comprehensive Review.

Consensus on timing of post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) vaccination is currently lacking and is therefore assessed in this review. PubMed was searched systematically for articles concerning vaccination post-HSCT and included a basis in predefined criteria. To enable comparison, data were extracted and tables were constructed per vaccine, displaying vaccine response as either seroprotection or seroconversion for allogeneic HSCT (alloHSCT) and autologous HSCT (autoHSCT) separately.

Predictive factors for vaccine failure to guide vaccination in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

Vaccination after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is essential to protect high-risk patients against potentially lethal infections. Though multiple studies have evaluated vaccine specific responses, no comprehensive analysis of a complete vaccination schedule post-HSCT has been performed and little is known about predictors for vaccine failure. In this context, allogeneic HSCT (alloHSCT) patients were included and vaccinated starting one year post-transplantation.