The Lollipop with Strawberry Aroma May Be Promising in Reduction of Infusion-Related Nausea and Vomiting during the Infusion of Cryopreserved Peripheral Blood Stem Cells

Nausea and vomiting during the infusion of cryopreserved peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are common. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of lollipop with strawberry aroma on the infusion-related nausea and vomiting of cryopreserved autologous PBSCs. We compared 2 groups of adult patients receiving lollipop with strawberry aroma during cryopreserved PBSC infusions or not to assess the incidences of nausea and vomiting occurring during infusions. All patients received granisetron 3 mg i.v. twice a day, and lorazepam I mg every 4 hours orally for prophylaxis of the nausea and vomiting during conditioning phase and infusion day. Before infusion, all patients were premedicated with pheniramine maleate 45.5 mg i.v. and paracetamol 500 mg orally. The patients had no evidence of nausea or vomiting prior to cryopreserved PBSC infusions. The patients with ongoing nausea or vomiting owing to conditioning regimens and/or receiving additional antiemetics were excluded from the study. One hundred fifty-eight patients who consecutively underwent autologous stem cell transplantation for malignancy were included in the study. The first I 10 patients (median age: 42.5, range: 17-75) were observed for the infusion related adverse effects only. The consecutive 48 patients (median age: 48, range: 18-80) were given a lollipop with strawberry aroma during cryopreserved PBSC infusions and observed for the infusion-related adverse effects. The 2 groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, diagnosis, stem cell collection methods, conditioning regimens administered, total mononuclear cell dose infused, number of total nucleated cells (TNCs) infused, number of CD34(+) cells infused, number of bags infused, total volume infused, amount of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and infusion rate. Patients who received a lollipop with a strawberry aroma during infusions had significantly less nausea (6.3%, n = 3 versus 21.8%, n = 24, P = .02) and vomiting (2%, n = 1 versus 13.6%, n = 15, P = .04) than the ones who did not (observation only group). Other infusion-related adverse events were as follows; hypoxia, cough, dyspnea, abdominal cramping, tachycardia, hiccup, fever, chills, chest pain, hypotension, hypertension, agitation, sore throat, and arrhythmia. Incidences of each of these adverse events were <5% in both groups and were comparable. The use of a lollipop with a strawberry aroma during infusion of cryopreserved autologous PBSCs may be promising in reduction of infusion-related nausea and vomiting, with an easy administration at a very cheap cost.