• Nina E Glass, Lisa A Kaltenbach, Sloan B Fleming, Patrick G Arbogast, and Bryan A Cotton.
• Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
• Transfusion. 2012 Oct 1; 52 (10): 2155-60.

BackgroundAn increase in endogenous catecholamine levels after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is well described. Animal studies suggest that postinjury anemia is exacerbated by a persistent hyperadrenergic state. This study aims to determine if beta-blocker (BB) exposure affects anemia after TBI.Study Design And MethodsWe reviewed a Level I trauma registry for patients with TBI, examining markers of anemia between patients who received BB with those who did not.ResultsA total of 174 patients were exposed to BB (BB+) and 245 were not exposed (BB-). The mean age in the BB+ group was 50 years (vs. 36 years in BB- group, p < 0.001). The mean injury severity score was 33.6 for the BB+ group (vs. 30.8 for BB- group, p = 0.01). While BB+ patients were more likely to receive a transfusion (60.9% vs. 35.1%, p < 0.001), BB+ patients reached their nadir hemoglobin (Hb) at a later day of hospitalization and their rate of decrease in Hb was significantly slower (both p < 0.001). Choosing Hb cutoffs for anemia of both 7 and 10 g/dL, Kaplan-Meier demonstrated a significant delay in time to anemia.ConclusionThis study suggests beta-blockade delays anemia after TBI. Elaboration of this effect may demonstrate an additional benefit of beta-blockade after head injury.© 2012 American Association of Blood Banks.

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