Purpose: To compare the use of intravenous (IV) hydration plus either continuous bladder irrigation or mesna for the prevention of hemorrhagic cystitis in the bone marrow transplant setting.
Patients and methods: Two hundred patients were prospectively randomized to receive either continuous bladder irrigation with 200 mL/h of normal saline, or continuous infusion mesna at 100% of the cyclophosphamide dose.
Results: The overall incidence of hematuria of any grade was significantly higher in the bladder-irrigation group (76%) compared with the mesna group (53%) (P = .007). However, the incidence of grade III and IV hematuria was the same in both groups (18%; P = NS). Moderate or severe discomfort or bladder spasms were reported in 84% of the patients who received bladder irrigation, compared with 2% of the patients who received mesna prophylaxis (P < .0001). Urinary tract infections (UTIs) were documented in 27% of the patients in the bladder-irrigation group, compared with 14% of the patients in the mesna group (P = .03).
Conclusion: Both continuous bladder irrigation and mesna were equally effective in preventing severe hemorrhagic cystitis associated with high-dose cyclophosphamide and bone marrow transplantation. However, the use of mesna was associated with significantly less discomfort and a lower incidence of UTIs.