Physical Impairments in Allogeneic-HSCT

Pulmonary functions, exercise capacity and muscle strength deteriorate in survived hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients due to toxic effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, conditioning regimens and/or corticosteroid use before HSCT, prolonged stay of recipients in rooms with laminar airflow and strict infection control rules during process of HSCT. There are also limited numbers of studies demonstrated pulmonary function abnormalities, decreased maximal exercise capacity, respiratory and peripheral muscle weakness in recipients. Current study was planned since no study compared pulmonary functions, maximal exercise capacity, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength between recipients and healthy individuals in the literature.