BACKGROUND: Transfusion rates remain high in cardiac and orthopedic surgery and differ widely across physician practices in spite of growing knowledge that allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) is associated with a risk of postoperative infection. METHODS: This prospective observational study compared the timing and incidence of ABT-associated postoperative infections (PIs) in 1,489 orthopedic or cardiac surgery patients at nine hospitals. RESULTS: Of 455 cardiovascular and 1,034 orthopedic surgery patients, 415 (55.6% of the cardiovascular patients and 15.7% of the orthopedic patients) were given ABT. The overall rate of PI during hospitalization was 5.8%. The relative risk of PI was 3.6-fold greater after ABT (50 patients; 12.1%) than in patients not having ABT (36 patients; 3.4%; 95% confidence interval 2.4, 5.4; p = 0.001). Postoperative infections appeared both during hospitalization (n = 86) and within four weeks after discharge (n = 81). CONCLUSIONS: Patients should be followed for as long as four weeks after discharge to determine the true incidence and risk of ABT-associated PI.
BACKGROUND: Transfusion rates remain high in cardiac and orthopedic surgery and differ widely across physician practices in spite of growing knowledge that allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) is associated with a risk of postoperative infection. METHODS: This prospective observational study compared the timing and incidence of ABT-associated postoperative infections (PIs) in 1,489 orthopedic or cardiac surgery patients at nine hospitals. RESULTS: Of 455 cardiovascular and 1,034 orthopedic surgery patients, 415 (55.6% of the cardiovascular patients and 15.7% of the orthopedic patients) were given ABT. The overall rate of PI during hospitalization was 5.8%. The relative risk of PI was 3.6-fold greater after ABT (50 patients; 12.1%) than in patients not having ABT (36 patients; 3.4%; 95% confidence interval 2.4, 5.4; p = 0.001). Postoperative infections appeared both during hospitalization (n = 86) and within four weeks after discharge (n = 81). CONCLUSIONS:Patients should be followed for as long as four weeks after discharge to determine the true incidence and risk of ABT-associated PI.
Authors: A G Kleinerüschkamp; K Zacharowski; C Ettwein; M M Müller; C Geisen; C F Weber; P Meybohm Journal: Anaesthesist Date: 2016-05-09 Impact factor: 1.041
Authors: Jens Meier; Markus M Müller; Patrick Lauscher; Walid Sireis; Erhard Seifried; Kai Zacharowski Journal: Transfus Med Hemother Date: 2012-03-19 Impact factor: 3.747
Authors: Cynthia So-Osman; Rob Nelissen; Ronald Brand; Frank Faber; Ron Te Slaa; Anne Stiggelbout; Anneke Brand Journal: Blood Transfus Date: 2013-02-06 Impact factor: 3.443
Authors: Hermien Janneke Schutte; Sofie Jansen; Matthias U Schafroth; J Carel Goslings; Nathalie van der Velde; Sophia E J A de Rooij Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-05-21 Impact factor: 3.240