Going out after a bone marrow transplant (BMT)

This page from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) explains the guidelines for taking your child out of the hospital following a bone marrow transplant (BMT). The general rule is that your child should only leave the ward when they are in yellow precautions and have a neutrophil count above 0.5 with or without GCSF support.

• Your child’s electrolytes must be stable not requiring intravenous supplements.
• Your child should not need any doses of intravenous or oral medication while they are out for a walk.
• Your child should not be due any investigations, such as X-rays or ultrasound scans.
• You MUST have a Hickman safety pack, know how to use it and have had the safety talk
• From April to October, you must apply sun cream (SPF 50+) to your child’s skin and they should wear a sunhat and sunglasses
• Your child must stay away from crowds and contact with animals and birds
• You must understand what your child can and cannot eat or drink when outside. You can take a bag of crisps and a carton or can of drink from the ward with you as a snack. Your child must not have Mr Whippy® style ice cream, cakes or unsealed drinks.
• Avoid walking near areas where buildings are being built or pulled down.
• Make sure that staff on the ward have your current contact phone number.

Due to risk of infection, you and your child should not go to:

• The hospital shop and Lagoon restaurant.
• Coram’s Fields – the children’s play area at the end of Lamb’s Conduit Street because there are a number of farm animals kept there. At weekends and school holidays, there is a play scheme run there so can have a large number of children in the grounds.
• Shops such as the Brunswick Centre near to the hospital or Oxford Street and Regent Street further afield.
• Launderettes.
• Restaurants.
• Public transport.
• You should not visit other wards or clinical areas.

Even though there are a number of places you should avoid, there are still lots of options for places to go outside of the hospital:

• Morgan Stanley Garden – This is on Level 2 (ground floor) on the Hospital School corridor, through Medical Illustration. Between 3pm and 4pm each day, the garden is only open to families with immune suppressed children – any other families or visitors will be asked to leave. You will need to get a security swipe card from Fox/Robin Ward.
• Queen Square – avoiding lunchtime crowds and overflow from nearby pubs.
• Bloomsbury Square and Lincoln’s Inn – again, avoiding lunchtime crowds.
• Russell Square – but do not let your child play in the fountain.
• Regents Park – not the zoo or play area nearby – if your child travels there by taxi or your own car.
• Hyde Park – if your child travels there by taxi or your own car