Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Dec 2014
Review Meta AnalysisTransfusion Triggers for Guiding RBC Transfusion for Cardiovascular Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Restrictive red cell transfusion is recommended to minimize risk associated with exposure to allogeneic blood. However, perioperative anemia is an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes after cardiovascular surgery. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine whether perioperative restrictive transfusion thresholds are associated with inferior clinical outcomes in randomized trials of cardiovascular surgery patients. ⋯ Further randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine the optimal transfusion strategy for patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.