The Effect of Cryotherapy on the Prevention of Oral Mucositis and on the Oral pH Value in Multiple Myeloma Patients Undergoing Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cryotherapy on the prevention of oral mucositis (OM) and on the oral pH value in patients with multiple myeloma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation. DATA SOURCES: This nonrandomized controlled clinical trial was carried out in Bone Marrow Transplant Centers of three hospitals with total 32 patients. In addition to standard oral care, a total of 80 minutes of cryotherapy was applied to the experimental group. OM was assessed according to the World Health Organization's Oral Toxicity Scale before chemotherapy and for 21 days after chemotherapy (every day in the first 14 days, then every other day until the 21st day [if not discharged]). CONCLUSION: According to the findings, cryotherapy did not change the incidence of oral OM, and neither affected the severity of nor decreased the duration of it. Oral pH value was found to be significantly different between the patient groups only before and 1 day after chemotherapy. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Cryotherapy is an inexpensive, easy-to-use method with no side effects; it would be beneficial to continue cryotherapy to prevent the development of OM in patients with cancer receiving drugs with a short half-life such as melphalan. It is also recommended to conduct further studies with different chemotherapy drugs with short half-lives to determine its effect on the prevention of OM development.

The effect of hematopoietic progenitor cells' temperature on cardiac arrhythmias in patients given peripheral blood progenitor cells.

BACKGROUND: Infusion of cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) is associated with a broad variety of symptoms. In this study, we have investigated infusion-related toxicity regarding temperature of cryopreserved autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) transplanted in 31 and allogeneic non-cryopreserved PBPCs in 4 patients receiving high dose chemotherapy and stem cells transplantation for hematological malignancies. STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD: A 24h ECG-Holter recording system was used to obtain cardiac arrhythmias. Two milliliters HPC were collected from entrance site of venous access to evaluate the temperature of infused HPC. RESULTS: We have detected arrhythmias in 17 (48.58%) of our patients before, during and after infusion. Median temperature of the infusat was 21 degrees C (18-28.2). Arrhythmias during infusion were detected in 8 (22.85%) patients. The temperatures of infused HPCs were not statistically different in group with and without arrhythmias as 22 degrees C and 21 degrees C, respectively (P>0.05). And also, volume, contents [dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO), red blood cells (RBC), platelet (PLT), and total nucleated cell (TNC)] of product, and rate of infusion speed did not have any effect on arrhythmias. CONCLUSION: As a result of this study, we have concluded that the temperature of HPC does not cause any systemic hypothermia and does not have any relation to arrhythmias detected during infusion.