Thread: Hemoglobin count

Is there a number that is generally accepted as to when a trnsfusion should be consudered?
I just had a local hospital tell me they use 10.
That seems high.

For starters, this article posted by Jan Wade might help (search NoBlood using "hemoglobin hematocrit"):

http://www.noblood.org/news-hot-topi...im-hannon.html

FYI from the article mentioned above

"Based on audit results showing the hospital had room for improvement in the area of red-cell transfusions, Lee Memorial’s Dr. Reardon began educating the medical staff about the Transfusion Requirements in Critical Care, or TRICC, trial (Hebert PC, et al. N Engl J Med. 1999; 340:409–417). That study showed using a hemoglobin of 7 g/dL as a transfusion trigger in critically ill patients produced just as good or slightly better outcomes than a more liberal trigger of 10 g/dL, Dr. Reardon says."

I wonder how informed the person making statement is and whether they know the facts. If the hospital is indeed transfusing at 10 g/dL they are in violation of common practice.

All the best.