Infection Prophylaxis in cGvHD Patients

The ASTCT Advanced Practice Providers SIG is hosting a webinar on 'Infection Prophylaxis in cGvHD Patients' on Wednesday, September 25, at 2 p.m. CDT. Chronic GvHD remains a primary driver of transplant-related morbidity and mortality, particularly due to infection. Despite recent FDA-approved therapies for chronic GvHD, infection risk remains high. Therefore, preventative strategies including antimicrobial therapy and vaccination are critical to enhance protection against life-threatening infection in patients experiencing chronic GvHD following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). During this webinar, Dr. Auletta will review: the pathophysiology of chronic GvHD as it pertains to new FDA-approved therapies for chronic GvHD, the infections associated with chronic GvHD and therapies used to treat chronic GvHD, and the strategies to prevent infections in patients with chronic GvHD. This session is intended for advanced practice providers, physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other members of the health care team who are involved in managing patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

This webinar is open to all ASTCT members and non-members. ASTCT designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. To review the full CME Information for this webinar, please navigate to the 'CME Information' tab.

Speaker:

Jeffery Auletta, MD

Senior Vice President, Health Equity at NMDP 

Chief Scientific Director, CIBMTR & NMDP

Statement of Need:

Chronic GvHD (cGvHD) affects a substantial proportion of individuals undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT), with estimates suggesting that up to 50% of these patients may develop the condition. The manifestations of cGvHD can be widespread, involving the skin, eyes, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and liver. Advancements in the understanding of cGvHD pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatment modalities are essential for improving patient care. Infection prophylaxis is a critical component of managing patients with cGvHD due to their increased susceptibility to infections. The immunosuppressive therapies used to treat cGvHD, combined with the underlying immune dysfunction caused by the disease itself, significantly heighten the risk of infection. In evaluation surveys for several ASTCT events, chronic GvHD is one of the highest indicated topics that respondents feel they need more education on. This webinar aims to address this need for additional education on cGvHD prevention, treatments, and strategies to improve provider knowledge of cGvHD and overall patient outcomes.

Target Audience:

This session is intended for advanced practice providers, physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other members of the health care team who are involved in managing patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this education activity, participants will be able to:

• Review the pathophysiology of chronic GvHD as it pertains to new FDA-approved therapies for chronic GvHD.
• Review infections associated with chronic GvHD and therapies used to treat chronic GvHD.
• Review strategies to prevent infections in patients with chronic GvHD. 

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT).  ASTCT is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

Credit Designation Physicians: ASTCT designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.  

Method of Participation/How to Receive Credit: There are no fees for participating and receiving credit for this activity.

If you are requesting AMA credits or a certificate of participation, your certificate will be available for download. 

Disclosure Policy: In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, ASTCT requires that individuals in a position to control the content of an educational activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with a commercial entity. ASTCT resolves all conflicts of interest to ensure independence, objectivity, balance, and scientific rigor in all their educational programs. Furthermore, ASTCT seeks to verify that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a CME/CE activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. ASTCT are committed to providing learners with high-quality CME/CE activities that promote improvements in health care and not those of a commercial interest.

Planning committee members, faculty, reviewers, and activity staff have disclosed the following relevant financial relationships. All relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated.

Commercial Supporter Disclosures

No commercial support was provided for this webinar.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use: ASTCT requires CME faculty (speakers) to disclose when products or procedures being discussed are off label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational, and any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary, or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty in this activity may discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of US Food and Drug Administration approved labeling. This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. ASTCT does not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. If you have questions, contact the Medical Affairs Department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.

Disclaimer:  ASTCT presents this information for educational purposes only. The content is provided solely by faculty who have been selected because of recognized expertise in their field. Participants have the professional responsibility to ensure that products are prescribed and used appropriately on the basis of their own clinical judgment and accepted standards of care. ASTCT assume no liability for the information herein.