• Biswadev Mitra, Jessica L Nash, Peter A Cameron, Mark C Fitzgerald, John Moloney, and George C Velmahos.
• Emergency & Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Deparment of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Emergency Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. Electronic address: b.mitra@alfred.org.au.
• Injury. 2015 Jan 1; 46 (1): 10-4.

IntroductionRed blood cell (RBC) transfusion is often essential during trauma resuscitation but is associated with high cost and potential adverse outcomes. This study aimed to determine the incidence of potentially avoidable RBC transfusions (PAT) among adult major trauma patients.Materials And MethodsA retrospective review of data collected by Registry on patients presenting between Jan 2006 and Dec 2011 was conducted. Eligible patients received at least 1 unit of RBC in the first 24h following presentation to the Emergency Department (ED). Episodes of PAT were determined according to haemodynamic stability and post-transfusion haemoglobin levels.ResultsThere were 621 patients included, of whom 224 (36.1%; 95% CI: 32.3-40.0) received PAT. Of them, 132 (58.9%) were haemodynamically stable on arrival and did not require a surgical procedure. Patients with PAT had significantly lower injury severity scores (30 vs 34, p<0.01), higher presenting systolic blood pressure (129 vs 112mm Hg, p<0.01) and a lower frequency of a shock index ≥1 (24.1 vs 65.0%, p<0.01), compared to those without PAT. They also had a significantly lower mortality (13.4 vs 21.7%, p<0.01).ConclusionsPAT after trauma was common and often delivered to haemodynamically stable patients who did not require surgical procedures. Clinical decision pathways for trauma resuscitation should aim to limit PAT.Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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