Case-control comparison of at-home to total hospital care for autologous stem-cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies.

PURPOSE One of the most significant limitations of at-home autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) is the necessity for hospital readmission. We developed an at-home ASCT program in which prophylactic ceftriaxone and treatment of febrile neutropenia with piperacillin and tazobactam was introduced to minimize the readmission rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between November 2000 and February 2005, 178 consecutive patients underwent ASCT for a hematologic malignancy. Of these, 50 patients fulfilled the requirements for at-home ASCT. Results were compared with those observed in a control group of 50 patients individually matched to the group of patients treated at home for age, sex, diagnosis, stage of disease, conditioning, and source of stem cells. RESULTS Febrile neutropenia occurred in fewer patients in the at-home group as compared with the hospitalized group (76% v 96%: P = .008), and duration of fever was also shorter in the at-home group (median, 2 and 6 days, respectively; range, 1 to 11 and 1 to 20 days, respectively; P = .00003). Hospital readmission in the at-home group was required in only four cases (8%). This resulted in a reduction of 18.6 days of hospitalization per patient. Likewise, total median charges were approximately half in the at-home group as compared with the in-hospital group (3,345 euro v 6,250 euro, respectively; P < .00001). CONCLUSION Results of at-home ASCT with prophylactic administration of ceftriaxone and domiciliary treatment of febrile neutropenia with piperacillin and tazobactam are highly satisfactory and significantly cheaper compared with those obtained with conventional in-hospital ASCT.