
Concepts of blood transfusion in adults.
Recent progress has been made in the identification and implementation of best transfusion practices on the basis of evidence-based clinical trials, published clinical practice guidelines, and process improvements for blood use and clinical patient outcomes. However, substantial variability persists in transfusion outcomes for patients in some clinical settings--eg, patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery. This variability could be the result of insufficient understanding of published guidelines; different recommendations of medical societies, including the specification of a haemoglobin concentration threshold to use as a transfusion trigger; the value of haemoglobin as a surrogate indicator for transfusion benefit, even though only changes in concentration and not absolute red cell mass of haemoglobin can be identified; and disagreement about the validity of the level 1 evidence for clinical practice guidelines. Nevertheless, institutional experience and national databases suggest that a restrictive blood transfusion approach is being increasingly implemented as best practice.
Duke Scholars
Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Transfusion Reaction
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
- Professional Practice
- Practice Guidelines as Topic
- Postoperative Complications
- Humans
- Hemoglobins
- Guideline Adherence
- General & Internal Medicine
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Citation

Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Transfusion Reaction
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
- Professional Practice
- Practice Guidelines as Topic
- Postoperative Complications
- Humans
- Hemoglobins
- Guideline Adherence
- General & Internal Medicine
- Evidence-Based Medicine