Transfusion medicine
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Transfusion medicine · Aug 2010
Pulmonary effects of red blood cell transfusion in critically ill, non-bleeding patients.
The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions on pulmonary parameters in critically ill, non-bleeding patients. Retrospective chart analysis was performed on critically ill patients without overt bleeding in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital. In 83 patients in a 5-month period, who had received at least 1 RBC unit and stayed at least 24 h in the ICU, 199 transfusions of median 2 RBCs per transfusion (n = 504) were studied. ⋯ Transfusion of RBCs decreases oxygenation thereby increasing the LIS, dose-dependently and transiently, in a heterogeneous population of critically ill, non-bleeding patients, independent of prior cardiorespiratory status and RBC storage time. The effects are subtle, may go unseen and unreported and may represent subclinical transfusion-related acute lung injury. They do not adversely affect outcome, even at 1-year follow-up.