Thread: Transfusion Thresholds in FOCUS

The New England Journal of Medicine, Dec 29, 2011.

Editorial
Transfusion Thresholds in FOCUS

Paul J. Barr, Ph.D., and Karen E.M. Bailie, M.D., Ph.D.
N Engl J Med 2011; 365:2532-2533 December 29, 2011


This article has no abstract; the first 100 words appear below. [Log-in is required to read the full article.]


Even though red-cell transfusion is an accepted and widely used intervention, questions regarding which patients should receive transfusions and under what circumstances continue to spark debate. There has been limited evidence from clinical trials to inform policy. Meanwhile, concern about potential risks of blood transfusion and the costs of maintaining an adequate and safe blood supply¹ have heightened interest in strategies to reduce the use of red-cell transfusion. These strategies include preoperative optimization of hemoglobin levels, the use of cell salvage during and after surgery, and pharmacologic interventions to reduce blood loss.


In the Transfusion Trigger Trial for Functional Outcomes . . .[More. . .]

Here is a very important issue and a positive statement from the article:

"The decision to transfuse should be guided by an assessment of individual patients on the basis of a combination of signs, symptoms, and laboratory measures, and not by a single hemoglobin level."