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Old Wed Feb 22, 2017, 09:06 PM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 2,553
Spideog12,

You are doing the right thing by asking questions and gathering information. Look for as many sources as you can.

Many physicians will hesitate to predict the lifespan of a patient because they don't really know the answer. Patient statistics provide data, but outcomes vary so much from patient to patient that statistics can be misleading. Unfortunately, when physicians make an educated guess, some patients treat it as fact, rather than the estimate that it is. It would be even harder for laypeople like us (forum members) to give you a useful prediction.

One thing we can do, however, is to identify the factors that affect the prognosis. Age matters, but the exact age may not be as important a factor as general health and the types of other health problems the person has. It's also important to note which blood counts are low, and how low they are, because that's directly related to risk.

When it comes to ATG, you'd compare possible outcomes with ATG and possible outcomes without ATG. With ATG, you risk the side effects of treatment and of blood counts getting worse before they get better. Without it, the person would probably get transfusions and/or growth factors to maintain blood counts and the risk is that this type of supportive care wouldn't continue to help over time. Unfortunately, death can be the outcome in either case, from treatment or from lack of treatment. For this reason, physicians with SAA experience, and who know the patient's personal history, should give the advice.

On the positive side, successful ATG can give people a normal lifespan.

I think "barrier nursing" refers to protecting doctors and nurses from patients who might infect them, and that doesn't apply to SAA patients. But infection control for a patient with a low white blood cell count is definitely a key part of care, no matter what treatment is used. When a person's platelets are low they should take extra precautions against falls or other injuries. A person with a low red blood cell count should avoid over-exertion, because they have limited energy capacity. These precautions depend on blood counts, no matter what phase of treatment you are in.
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