Losing the genetic twin: donor grief after unsuccessful unrelated stem cell transplantation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Stem cell transplantations from related or unrelated donors are used to cure leukaemia and other blood diseases. When a patient dies after an unsuccessful transplantation, interested unrelated donors are informed about the failure by their donor centre. Studies focussing on failed related donations show that donors undergo an intense grieving process. As there are only two investigations about reactions from unrelated donors, knowledge about their reactions is less comprehensive.

Methods

We conducted a prospective study of reactions of unrelated donors to the information of failed transplantations, subject to various communication methods (letter, phone). Questionnaires were sent to 395 unrelated donors who received the news of their recipients' deaths between Nov

SUBMITTER: Wanner M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2630924 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature