The importance of educating stem cell transplant recipients about tuberculosis and cytomegalovirus

Roy Chemaly, MD, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, discusses the importance about educating stem cell transplant patients about the risk of tuberculosis and cytomegalovirus infections. Prof Chemaly describes why it is important to ask patients the right questions in order to establish whether they may have been exposed to tuberculosis (TB) in the past. Prof Chemaly also discusses the cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the risk it can pose to stem cell transplant recipients. According to Prof Chemaly it is important to make sure the patient understands the seriousness of these infections as it is crucial to catch the infection early. He further describes the recommendations he gives to patients, such as wearing a mask and washing their hands frequently, in order to avoid infection.
Recorded at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in Valencia, Spain.