Eleven elderly patients (older than 65 years) with relapsed large cell lymphoma were treated with high-dose myeloablative therapy and autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell support (ABMT). All 11 patients were in sensitive relapse at the time of ABMT. Treatment-related mortality was 9%. Median CD34 cell collection was 4.8 x 10(6) cells/kg. Median time to hematologic recovery was 11 days for granulocytes (range, 9 to 16 days) and 18 days for platelets (range, 14 to 42 days). Nine of 11 patients (81%) achieved a complete response following ABMT. Median time to treatment failure was 17 months. The 4-year disease-free and overall survival is projected to be 44%. When compared with a cohort of patients under age 65 years with sensitive relapsed large cell lymphoma treated with ABMT during the same time interval, disease-free and overall survival are comparable. ABMT is feasible, tolerable, and effective in elderly patients with relapsed large cell lymphoma with disease-free survival rates comparable to younger patients.

The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association classification is approved for nursing diagnoses, the Nursing Intervention Classification system provides a common nursing intervention language but to date there is no complete classification for patient outcomes. An outcome classification system can be used for making effective decisions. Recognizing the need for standardized outcomes, clinical nurse specialists developed a classification of patient outcomes. These outcomes, written to fit the Nursing Intervention Classification taxonomy, incorporate Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory.

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