Transfusion
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
The transfusion trigger and number of units transfused in patients with HIV: associations with disease stage and functional status.
The influence of quality of life (QOL), physical functioning, and HIV disease stage on the transfusion trigger and the number of units transfused was investigated. ⋯ In this group of HIV+ patients, lower CD4+ cell counts prompted transfusion at higher Hb levels. However, after controlling for the Hb level, the number of units transfused was associated with only the Hb level. The HIV stage appears to influence the decision to transfuse at a particular Hb level but not to influence the number of RBC units transfused. The functional status does not appear to influence the decision to transfuse.