Can J Urol
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Observational Study
Infectious complications in transfused patients after radical cystectomy.
Infectious complications are common after radical cystectomy (RC), and allogeneic blood transfusions may increase infection risk by an immunosuppressive effect. While it has been suggested that perioperative blood transfusion (PBT) may be associated with adverse oncologic outcomes after RC, no large analyses have assessed whether PBT increases the risk of perioperative infection after RC. ⋯ This analysis provides strong observational evidence that PBT is associated with an increased risk of perioperative infectious complications, which may be secondary to transfusion-related immunomodulation. Urologists should aggressively pursue blood conservation strategies and adhere to evidence-based restrictive transfusion thresholds, particularly given the rising rate of PBT.