Outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients who received continuous renal replacement therapy in a pediatric oncology intensive care unit.

Objectives: To assess the long-term benefits of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in this patient population and to analyze factors associated with survival. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is being utilized as curative therapy for a variety of disorders. However, organ dysfunction is commonly associated with this therapy. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is increasingly being used in the treatment of this multiorgan dysfunction.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A free-standing, tertiary care, pediatric oncology hospital.

Patients: Twenty-nine allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients who underwent 33 courses of CRRT in the intensive care unit between January 2003 and December 2007.

Interventions: Cox proportional hazards regressions models were used to examine the relationship between demographic and clinical variables and length of survival.

Measurements And Main Results: The median length of survival post CRRT initiation was 31 days; only one patient survived >6 mos. Factors associated with increased risk of death included: higher bilirubin and blood urea nitrogen levels before and at 48 hrs into CRRT, lower Pao2/Fio2 ratios at 48 hrs of CRRT, and higher C-reactive protein levels, as well as lower absolute neutrophil counts at CRRT end.

Conclusion: In this single-center study, CRRT was not associated with long-term survival in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients. Clinical data exist, both before and during CRRT, that may be associated with length of survival. Lower C-reactive protein levels at CRRT end were associated with longer survival, suggesting that the ability to attenuate inflammation during CRRT may afford a survival advantage. These findings require confirmation in a prospective study.