Blood & Marrow Transplant Certified Nurse (BMTCN) Practice Exam

Garlic-like taste during stem cell infusion is most often caused by exposure to the cryoprotectant DMSO used to preserve frozen grafts. DMSO is added to stem cell products to prevent ice crystal formation during freezing, and when the graft is thawed and infused, residual DMSO can enter the circulation and produce a distinct garlic or sweet taste in the mouth (often with a temporary garlic odor on breath). This is a benign, transient effect related to the infusion of the preserved product, not an infection or drug toxicity from the conditioning agents. The other options—viral infections like cytomegalovirus or BK virus, or a chemotherapeutic agent like fludarabine—do not produce this specific taste change during infusion.