Transfusion
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Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) originally isolated from marrow have multipotent differentiation potential and favorable immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties that make them very attractive for regenerative cellular therapy. Cells with similar phenotypic characteristics have now been derived from almost all fetal, neonatal, and adult tissues; furthermore, more recently similar cells have also been generated from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Generation of MSCs from human ESCs provides an opportunity to study the developmental biology of human mesenchymal lineage generation in vitro. ⋯ MSCs from adult sources are being investigated in numerous Phase I-III clinical trials for a wide variety of indications, mainly based on their immunomodulatory properties. Our group and others have shown MSCs derived from human ESCs possess immunomodulatory properties similar to marrow-derived MSCs. Immunomodulatory properties of ESC-derived MSCs could prove to be highly valuable for their potential clinical applications in the future as derivatives of human ESCs have already entered clinical arena in the context of Phase I clinical trials.
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Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion may prolong recovery in some patients, perhaps due to changes that occur during more prolonged RBC storage. We examined the impact of RBC transfusion and the age of transfused RBC units on clinical outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). ⋯ The importance of RBC storage time does not appear to influence clinical outcomes in HSCT. Patients with increased RBC transfusion requirements have greater toxicity after HSCT. Whether RBC transfusion contributes to toxicity, however, remains unclear.
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In 2005, The Joint Commission set about assessing the need for performance measures associated with the provision of blood products. Through a rigorous process, seven patient blood management performance measures were created. These measures incorporated a measure requiring transfusion consent; three measures requiring the combination of a laboratory value and a rationale for transfusion of plasma, platelets, or red blood cells; a measure requiring standard documentation about a transfusion; a measure evaluating preoperative anemia screening; and a measure of preoperative type screening and antibody testing before the start of major blood loss surgery. This article describes the process of this measure development and summarizes the final measures and some of the evidence supporting the measures.
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Patients with severe thrombocytopenia are at risk for bleeding during insertion of central venous catheters (CVCs). Although most guidelines recommend preprocedural platelet (PLT) transfusions at a threshold of less than 50 × 10(9) /L, there is only weak evidence supporting such recommendations. ⋯ CVC placements can safely be performed in patients with PLT counts of 20 × 10(9) /L or more without preprocedural PLT transfusions.
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The association of red blood cell (RBC) storage on morbidity outcome after cardiac surgery is debated. We sought to clarify the association of the age of transfused blood on outcome in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. ⋯ Our data support previous suggestions of an association between transfusion of older RBCs and poorer outcome in cardiac surgery patients. Randomized controlled trials are required to determine the true causal nature of any such association.