Recommendations for hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients during the covid 19 pandemic

Background: Currently, the world is witnessing a health crisis in the form of the covid19 pandemic. One of the factors that paves the way for Covid 19 is the weakened immunesystem, and since a few days before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, these patientsundergo high-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow suppressants, the immune system ofthese people is severely weakened. Oncologists, especially hematopoietic stem celltransplant specialists, are very concerned about patients who will be transplanted in thecurrent situation and are looking for ways that can be the least harmful and most beneficialfor patients in this crisis.Material and Methods: In this review study, all related studies from Magiran, Medlib,SID, IranMedex, Scopus, Google Scholar and PubMed databases with the keywords ofCOVID 19, COVID 19 virus, Coronavirus-19, 2019-nCoV, 2019 novel coronavirus,SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, Hematopoietic stem celltransplantation, Bone marrow transplantation in the period from 2019 to 2020 wassearched and 29 articles were extracted. Then 8 articles that met the research criteria wereincluded in the study. Data analysis was performed qualitatively.Results: Among the reviewed articles, several recommendations are considered moreimportant and more emphasized in patients who are to be transplanted in these conditions.All recipients should have a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test before starting transplantrelatedmedication regimens regardless of respiratory symptoms. If the recipient hasrecently had a close relationship with the positive case of Covid 19, it is best to have thetransplant done after 21 days. If the recipient has Covid 19 disease, it should be evaluatedbased on the risk of death from untreated. In patients whose disease is not severe, it isbetter to postpone the transplant for 3 months, but in high-risk patients, the transplantshould be performed when the patient is asymptomatic and two PCR tests are negativeone week apart.Conclusions: In general, in the current crisis caused by the Quaid 19 pandemic, it is better toweigh all aspects of treatment and non-treatment before deciding to have a stem cell transplantand if the transplant is to be performed according to the condition of the disease, it isrecommended to observe all health issues more than before

کلیدواژه ها:

Covid 19 ، Coronavirus ، Hematopoietic stem cell transplant