We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Newborns Getting Preoperative Blood Transfusions Have More Complications

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 05 Nov 2020
Blood transfusions in the neonatal patient population are common, but there are no established guidelines regarding transfusion thresholds. More...
Little is known about postoperative outcomes in neonates who receive preoperative blood transfusions (PBTs).

Transfusion practices in neonatal intensive care units (ICUs) remain highly variable despite several randomized trials showing no harm with a restrictive transfusion strategy in babies compared with a liberal one. It's not uncommon for anemic newborns to receive transfusions prior to surgery as a precaution.

Medical scientists at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (Wilmington, DE, USA) and their colleagues identified a total of 12,184 neonates, of whom 1,209 (9.9%) received a PBT, all neonates who underwent surgery. Mortality and composite morbidity (defined as any postoperative complication) in neonates who received a PBT within 48 hours of surgery were compared with that in neonates who did not receive a transfusion.

The team reported that the incidence of 30-day mortality (16.8% versus 2.6%) and morbidity (46.2% versus 16.2%) put neonates who received blood transfusion within 48 hours of surgery at a disadvantage compared with peers not getting transfusion. Blood transfusion remained associated with worse postoperative outcomes after multivariable adjustment and propensity-score matching.

Specific postoperative complications that occurred more frequently in the transfusion group included infection, bleeding requiring transfusion, reintubation, reoperation, and hospital stay beyond 30 days. However, babies who did not receive transfusion had more readmissions within 30 days of surgery. There appeared to be a stronger relationship between mortality and morbidity and blood transfusion with rising preoperative hematocrit (up to 35%), though this finding did not reach statistical significance for interaction.

The authors concluded that it is likely that there is a tipping point or range in which the risks associated with anemia outweigh the risks associated with blood transfusion. For infants with significant anemia, it is plausible that the benefits of a blood transfusion, such as increased oxygen delivery, outweigh the associated risks (i.e., transfusion-related immunomodulation and a proinflammatory state), but as the anemia becomes less severe, the harm of a blood transfusion begins to outweigh the benefit. The study was published on October 1, 2020 in the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:
Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children


Gold Member
Cardiovascular Risk Test
Metabolic Syndrome Array I & II
Portable Electronic Pipette
Mini 96
Automated Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer
MS-i3080
Capillary Blood Collection Tube
IMPROMINI M3
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Immunology

view channel
Image: The tool enables scientists to track real-time fluctuations in T cell function with unprecedented speed and precision (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Luminescent Probe Measures Immune Cell Activity in Real Time

The human immune system plays a vital role in defending against disease, but its activity must be precisely monitored to ensure effective treatment in cancer therapy, autoimmune disorders, and organ transplants.... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration supports clinical validation and regulatory submissions of the new T1D 4-plex assay on Revvity’s GSP instrument (Photo courtesy of Revvity)

Revvity and Sanofi Collaborate on Program to Revolutionize Early Detection of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a lifelong autoimmune condition in which the immune system destroys the pancreas’s insulin-producing beta cells, leading to dependence on insulin therapy. Early detection is critical... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.