Thrombotic risk in patients undergoing peripheral stem cell apheresis and low-molecular weight heparin prophylaxis pre-apheresis

Patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection for autologous transplantation may have a greater incidence of thrombosis due to a number of risk factors (RFs). These factors may be related to the patient himself (history of thromboembolism, tumour type and stage, treatment), to the procedure and/or to the mobilizing agents used. In our study of 97 patients, 32 were considered high risk (HR) patients and were therefore treated with a low prophylactic dose of enoxaparin the evening before stem cell apheresis. Neither thrombotic nor hemorrhagic complications were observed, even though pre-apheresis platelet levels were below 50 × 109 l−1 in 19 procedures.