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Roughly 15 million red blood cell (RBC) units are transfused annually in the U.S., but transfusion practices vary substantially, partly because of limited high-quality evidence regarding risks and benefits of RBC transfusions. To develop a clinical practice guideline on transfusion practices for hemodynamically stable adults and children, the AABB performed a systematic review of randomized clinical trials in which RBC transfusion thresholds were evaluated.
Key recommendations include the following:
In stable hospitalized patients, adhere to a restrictive transfusion strategy (7–8 g/dL).
In intensive care unit patients, consider transfusion when hemoglobin concentrations are ≤7 g/dL.
In postoperative surgical patients and patients with preexist…