Inside the Clinic: A Team-Based Approach to Management of GVHD

Bonnie Dirr, APRN, introduces a clinical scenario of a patient who received an allogeneic stem cell transplant from a sibling donor to begin the panel’s discussion of graft versus host disease.

Mahasweta Gooptu, MD, reviews statistics on graft versus host disease and explains the desired graft versus leukemia effect.

Eno-Abasi Inyang, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP provides an overview of the various conditioning regimens employed for allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Dr. Gooptu explains the risk factors associated with both acute and chronic GVHD.

GVHD prophylaxis techniques are analyzed by the panelists.

Acute GVHD presentation and diagnosis is assessed for the clinical scenario previously discussed.

Dr Gooptu shares guidance on the assessment and grading of acute GVHD.

Drs Gootpu and Inyang explain use of corticosteroids as frontline treatment for acute GHVD.

The panel highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and best practices in education for patients with GVHD.

Signs and symptoms of chronic GVHD are explained through the lens of the clinical scenario.

Dr Gooptu discusses the incidence of chronic GVHD and ruminates on how a patient’s medical history may impact their chronic GVHD risk.

Mahasweta Gooptu, MD shares insights on the early identification and diagnosis of chronic GVHD.

The panel provides an overview of the frontline treatments available for chronic GVHD.

Details of steroid use for chronic GVHD, including taper and response criteria, are described by the panel.

GVHD experts outline the treatment options for patients with steroid-refractory chronic GVHD.

Dr Gooptu highlights how she selects therapy for a patient who is refractory to steroids for chronic GVHD and Dr Inyang notes the adverse events seen with these therapies.

The panel closes by reviewing the patient case once more and shares clinical pearls on the treatment of patients with GVHD.