3.2 Effect of red blood cell transfusion on outcomes

Question 2 (Interventional question)

In medical patients, what is the effect of RBC transfusion on patient outcomes?

RBC, red blood cell

Patients are transfused to treat symptoms, reduce morbidity and mortality, and improve their quality of life. The literature review aimed to establish whether receiving a transfusion affects patient outcomes. The review examined the effect of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in a general population of medical patients, and in subsets of patients in whom a different management strategy might be appropriate. These subsets included patients with ACS, heart failure, cancer or upper gastrointestinal blood loss.

The evidence included some studies comparing restrictive and liberal transfusion strategies, and some observational studies comparing outcomes in patients receiving transfusion to patients who were not transfused. The review included only those studies that had at least 500 subjects, and that adjusted for potential confounding variables using multivariate analysis.