Decreased Physical Activity in Autologous Stem Cell Recipients Leads to Reduced QOL Scores during Hospitalization

INTRODUCTION:

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can heavily impact the quality of life (QOL) of an individual. However, this procedure may be the only hope for a cure or a longer life for some individuals. When these patients develop severe neutropenia during transplantation, protective isolation is recommended to reduce the risk of infection. During protective isolation, patients may be confined to their hospital room which can decrease their physical activity.

For autologous hematopoietic stem cell receipts (AHSCR), severe neutropenia may last several days to weeks. During this time, patients often experience social isolation, emotional encumbrances and also physical deconditioning.Data is inconsistent whether protective isolation does reduce the incidence of infections.

In this study, we sought to investigate the impact of physical activity during hospitalization on Quality of Life in AHSCR with severe neutropenia using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) questionnaire.

METHODS:

We conducted a prospective observational study of 15 patients admitted to Mayo Clinic Florida during November 2017 to May 2018 for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, wherein we monitored the activity of each patient during hospitalization by recording the number of steps taken each day by using an activity tracker worn by the patient. Informed consent was obtained on admission before enrolling patients. Patients completed a Quality of Life (QOL) questionnaire (FACT-BMT version 4) on admission and prior to discharge from the hospital.

RESULTS:

Of the 15 patients that were enrolled, 5 walked ≤ 100 steps/day (group A, median, 71) and 10 walked > 100 steps/day (group B, median, 406). While there was no difference in the median time to engraftment and length of hospital stay, the mean QOL score decreased from 89.2 on admission to 81.4 on discharge in less active neutropenia patients compared to the ones who were more active. (Table 1; Figure 1)

CONCLUSION:

Lack of physical activity decreases QOL in AHSCR. During hospitalization, AHSCR should be encouraged to increase their activity to improve QOL. Having an activity tracker may make it easier for patients to monitor their activity, and thus lead to a better QOL.

Figure.

View largeDownload slide

Figure.

View largeDownload slide

Close modal