Impact of supportive care on ALL Induction Mortality; the Better, the Less

Dr Meher Lakshmi Konatam; Dr Rachana Chennamaneni

Volume : VI, Issue : XI, November - 2016

Impact of supportive care on ALL Induction Mortality; the Better, the Less

Dr Meher Lakshmi Konatam, Dr Rachana Chennamaneni

Abstract :

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy with excellent treatment outcomes. Treatment related mortality is highest during induction phase of treatment with infection being the major cause of mortality. Though the mortality has signiåcantly decreased in patients treated under clinical trial setting and in developed countries, mortality is still high in developing countries. Both treatment and hospital related factors contribute to induction mortality. A retrospective analysis of induction deaths and its causes in patients less than 21 years from January 2011 to June 2016 is performed. Two patients (0.9%) died during induction phase. An induction mortality of less than 1% in our institution can be considered as national benchmark. Availability of supportive care services and promptness in administration of antibiotics and platelets play a pivotal role in inging down the induction deaths.