Supportive Care in Severe and Very Severe Aplastic Anemia
摘要
Optimal management of aplastic anemia is not only limited to immediate diagnosis, early decision-making, and timely initiation of major treatment strategies such as immunosuppression or stem cell transplantation, but also involves supportive treatment as a crucial aspect of patient care. Patients are at risk of cytopenia-related complications throughout the disease course. This chapter summarizes the optimal infection control practices, current recommendations for prevention and early treatment of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, transfusion strategies, and iron chelation approaches. Many recommendations for aplastic anemia are not based on randomized studies specific to this disease but are extrapolated from conditions with similar severity of cytopenia. Prevention and management of complications, including hemorrhage, infection, alloimmunization to blood products, and iron overload, significantly impact prognosis and should be carefully observed in clinical practice. More controlled studies on supportive care in this rare disease are needed.