More Evidence of Adverse Outcomes with Transfusion for Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Elevated rates of early rebleeding and mortality were observed with PRBC transfusion and fresh-frozen plasma transfusion, respectively.

Recent study findings suggest that patients with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVGIB) receiving packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions have elevated 30-day mortality (NEJM JW Gastroenterol Feb 9 2016; [e-pub] and World J Surg 2015 Dec 16; [e-pub]).

Investigators retrospectively assessed the effect of blood and blood product transfusion on clinical outcomes in 2228 patients treated for acute NVGIB at one of three Western Australian tertiary care hospitals during a 3-year period. Clinical outcomes included early rebleeding, 30-day mortality, and conditional 1-year mortality. Results were as follows:

Transfusion of ≥4 units of PRBCs was significantly associated with an elevated rate of early rebleeding only if the initial hemog…

Reviewing Author

David J. Bjorkman, MD, MSPH (HSA), SM (Epid.)

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

David J. Bjorkman, MD, MSPH (HSA), SM (Epid.)

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

More Evidence of Adverse Outcomes with Transfusion for Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

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Reviewing Author