immunoablation

immunoablation

(ĭm-ū″-nō-ă-blā′shŭn) The systematic destruction of a patient's immune competence. Immunoablation is used to prepare patients for organ transplantation and to treat refractory autoimmune diseases, esp. when followed by immunoreconstruction (usually with autologous stem cell transplantation).

Patient care

Patients who have undergone immunoablation may be easily infected by caregivers. Careful handwashing and infection control techniques (such as “reverse isolation”) should be used to limit exposing these patients to harmful pathogens.