Reduction of peripheral blood stem cell collection sessions with extended-hour operation of the apheresis center Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Abbreviations: BV, blood volume; PB CD34+, peripheral blood CD34+ cell count; MM, multiple myeloma; G-CSF, granulocyte colony stimulating factor; PY, product yield; PBSC, peripheral blood stem cell
IntroductionAs healthcare expenses continue to increase, and healthcare funding becomes heavily reduced, hospitals are faced with the challenge of providing quality care while curtailing costs.1 Since nursing salaries account for the highest percentage of healthcare expenditure, many hospitals have restricted the size of their nursing workforce and restructured their rosters in a manner that would adequately allocate staff to meet patient needs, while simultaneously increasing operational efficiency.1,2 At the Mount Sinai Hospital Apheresis Center, full-time apheresis nurses previously worked on an 8.5-hour shift (8:00 am-4:30 pm), five days a week. Following the recommendation of a proposed guideline for autologous PBSC collection, the previous daily maximal processing volume for each patient was increased from 3 to 4 blood volumes (BV), except when the initial peripheral blood CD34+ cell count (PB CD34+) was >120 cells/mL. 3 The time required to process the 4 BVs varies between patients, and between collection sessions, based upon flow rate, health condition of the patient, and mobilization efficiency. Four BVs was usually the maximal blood volume that could be processed within the 8.5-hour limit of daily operation of the Apheresis Center.Autologous PBSC transplantation is performed to restore hematopoietic recovery in patients with hematological malignancies, including lymphomas, multiple myeloma (MM), Amyloidosis, and certain solid tumors, 4 after high dose chemotherapy. PBSC collections are done in preparation for an autologous transplant, in which the stem cells are infused back into the patient. PBSC collection involves the collection of mobilized stem cells in the patient's blood that are used for hematopoietic reconstitution in stem cell transplantation. To maximize collection, patients undergo stem cell mobilizing regimens that consist of chemotherapy and/or granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF; filgrastim), with or without additional mobilizing agent, plerixafor, to mobilize the highest possible population of stem cells into blood circulation.4-6 the collection procedure is to process several blood volumes in an apheresis instrument, in order to reach an optimal target number of cells collected. 7 The PBSC collection product yield (PY) rises with the increase of BVs processed. The number of collection days varies among patients, depending on the peripheral blood stem cell concentration and daily BV processed.
AbstractBackground: With the rising cost of healthcare, and nurses' salaries accounting for a large percentage of hospital expenses, it is crucial to maximize the efficiency of nursing services, while minimizing operational cost and impr...