Wednesday September 27, 2006
Red blood cell transfusions and nosocomial infections in ICUs

Unnecessary blood transfusions are harmful for patients and has multiple reasons for it. Significant study of about 2100 patients published in Critical Care Medicine in september 2006 regarding 'Red blood cell transfusions and nosocomial infections in critically ill patients'. Out of 2,085 patients, 21.5% received red blood cell transfusions.

Nosocomial infections, mortality rates, ICU and hospital length of stay were the main outcome measures. Study found that

• The posttransfusion nosocomial infection rate was 14.3% in transfused patients but only 5.8% in nontransfused patients.
• In a multivariate analysis the number of transfusions was independently associated with nosocomial infection.
• Leukoreduction tended to reduce the nosocomial infection rate but not significantly.
• Mortality and length of stay (both ICU and hospital) were significantly higher in transfused patients.
  
  

Reference: Click to get absract

Red blood cell transfusions and nosocomial infections in critically ill patients - Critical Care Medicine: Volume 34(9) September 2006 pp 2302-2308