Transfusion medicine
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Transfusion medicine · Oct 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEvaluation of a multi-center randomised clinical trial on prophylactic transfusion of fresh frozen plasma: implications for future trials.
Prophylactic use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in critically ill patients with a coagulopathy is common. However, a lack of evidence of efficacy has resulted in a call for trials on the benefit of FFP in these patients. To date, conducting a trial on this subject has not been successful. Recently, a multi-center randomised trial was stopped prematurely due to slow inclusion. ⋯ Intensivists express the need for more evidence on the prophylactic use of FFP in coagulopathic critically ill patients. However, lack of knowledge about FFP and personal beliefs about the preferable transfusion strategy among clinicians, resulted in premature termination of a clinical trial on this topic.