Inpatient Transfusion Trends in the U.S.

The safety and benefits of restrictive transfusion strategies have been demonstrated by research studies, but whether transfusions are being restricted is unclear.

To examine inpatient transfusion trends during the last two decades, investigators analyzed 20% of all U.S. inpatient hospital discharges between 1993 and 2014, selected to generate a nationally representative estimate.

The proportion of patients transfused with red cells, platelets, and plasma trended upward between 1993 and 2011, but between 2011 and 2014 declined for red cells (from 6.8% to 5.7%; adjusted risk ratio, 0.83) and for plasma (from 1.0% to 0.87%; aRR, 0.87). Rates of platelet transfusions were flat over this period (0.7% of patients). The decline in red cell transfus…