Evaluation of a novel Cardiac Peri-Operative Transfusion Trigger Scoring system in patients with coronary artery disease

Background A simple and accurate scoring system to guide perioperative blood transfusion in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing cardiac surgery is lacking. The trigger point for blood transfusions for these patients may be different from existing transfusion guidelines. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new scoring strategy for use in guiding transfusion decisions in patients with CAD. Methods A multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted at three third-level grade-A hospitals from January 2015 to May 2018. Data of 254 patients in a Cardiac Peri-Operative Transfusion Trigger Score (cPOTTS) group and 246 patients in a group receiving conventional evaluation of the need for transfusion (conventional group) were analysed. The requirements for transfusion and the per capita consumption of red blood cells (RBCs) were compared between groups. Results Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Logistic regression analyses revealed no significant differences between the two groups in primary outcomes (1-year mortality and perioperative ischemic cardiac events), secondary outcomes (shock, infections, and renal impairment), ICU admission, and ICU stay duration. However, patients in the cPOTTS group had significantly shorter hospital stays, lower hospital costs, lower utilization rate and lower per capita consumption of transfused RBCs than controls. Stratified analyses revealed no significant differences between groups in associations between baseline characteristics and perioperative ischemic cardiac events, except for hemofiltration or dialysis and NYHA class in I. Conclusions This novel scoring system offered a practical and straightforward guideline of perioperative blood transfusion in patients with CAD. Trial registration chiCTR1800016561(2017/7/19).

Cryoprecipitate Usage and Cost at a Tertiary Care Hospital Between 2010 and 2017

Introduction Cryoprecipitate (CRYO), a blood product prepared from FFP, is rich in fibrinogen, von Willebrand’s factor, and factors VIII and XIII. ​The major indication for CRYO transfusion is fibrinogen deficiency with increased risk of bleeding when fibrinogen is <100 mg/dL, a transfusion trigger rarely followed by the house staff or other clinicians. To limit wastage, Transfusion Services issue them as pools of five individual CRYO units. The use of CRYO at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) has significantly risen since 2010, so we conducted a study to identify the factors leading to increased CRYO transfusions. Methods Data on CRYO transfusions from 2010 to 2017 were obtained and analyzed for trends in overall usage and by nursing unit/departments. Cost-analysis was performed to determine the cost of CRYO usage. Conclusion Overall, CRYO usage has risen since 2010, with a sharp increase between 2015 and 2017 attributed to increased transfusions in the operating room (OR), surgical intensive care unit, and hematology-oncology units. There was a sixfold rise in transfusions in the hematology-oncology units. During this time, the lower limit of the fibrinogen reference range decreased from 234 to 190 mg/dL along with a drop in the number of trauma alerts. Values less than the lower reference range were used as the transfusion trigger by some overzealous hematology fellows. Cost-analysis showed that RWJUH lost 75% revenue per patient based on Medicare reimbursement despite efforts to limit wastage and lowering purchasing cost per unit by changing to a new blood supplier. The major determinants of intensified CRYO transfusions at RWJUH are (1) changes in the fibrinogen reference range concomitant with enhanced awareness, monitoring, and early treatment of hypofibrinogenemia, particularly in hematology-oncology units and (2) the complexity of surgical procedures (ie, VAD procedures) requiring more CRYO transfusions rather than the number of trauma alerts.

Effects of a More Restrictive Transfusion Trigger in Trauma Patients

Since the Transfusion Requirements in Critical Care trial, studies have shown that acutely ill patients can drift as a low as 5 g/dL. This study reviews a transfusion trigger change to 6.5 g/dL, which we hypothesize will conserve resources and improve quality of care. This is a retrospective chart review at an urban Level I trauma center from January through December 2015 after our trauma service changed the transfusion trigger from 7 to 6.5 g/dL. Outcomes in patients before (TT7) and after (TT6.5) the change in transfusion threshold were then compared. One hundred thirty-one discrete patients were included in this trial, with 285 instances of a hemoglobin of 7 g/dL or less and 178 transfusions. Seventy-two patients were before the change in threshold and 59 after. There was no change in length of hospital stay, ICU stay, ventilator days, mortality, and organ system failure after change in the transfusion threshold. After initiation of a more conservative threshold, 72 units of blood were saved. Decreased transfusion threshold was associated with no worse outcomes associated with decreased resource utilization.

The Effect on Blood Use after Adopting Single-Unit Policy and Restrictive Transfusion Trigger in a Hematology Unit: The Ensure Study

Introduction Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a frequently performed medical procedure. But it is not without risk. Evidence suggests that restrictive transfusion is safe and effectively lessens the demand for blood components. Nevertheless, there exist considerable variations in transfusion practice among different centers. The hematology unit of Princess Margaret Hospital, a secondary referral center providing inpatient services for patients with various haematological malignancies and autologous stem cell transplantation, adopted a two-phase patient blood management program to reduce the demand for blood transfusions. Firstly, single-unit policy was implemented in Feb 2015 to replace the original protocol of transfusing two units of RBC in every transfusion episode. Secondly, the hemoglobin (Hb) trigger for transfusion decreased from 8g/dL to 7g/dL in asymptomatic and hemodynamically stable patients without cardiovascular disease in Aug 2016. The impact of these strategies to blood use and patient outcomes is evaluated in the present study. Method The study periods included 01/01/2014 - 12/31/2014 (Period A), 04/01/2015 - 03/31/2016 (Period B) and 10/01/2016 - 09/30/2017 (Period C). All patients admitted to the center during the study periods were recruited. Demographic data, RBC consumption, length of hospital stay and all-cause inpatient mortality were retrieved from the electronic medical record system. The proportions of single-unit transfusion and the mean Hb level transfusion triggers in different periods were compared with analysis of variance for continuous variables and logistic regressions for categorical variables respectively. Blood use in different periods was expressed in terms of RBC unit transfused per patient-day of hospitalization, and compared by age and sex adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) obtained from zero-inflation negative binomial regression. To study the length of stay, negative binomial regression was performed to determine the age and sex adjusted IRRs for days of hospitalization in different periods. Clustering of data was further adjusted by applying robust standard errors. Generalized estimating equation for logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, days of hospitalization and number of previous admissions, was applied to compare the inpatient mortality in different periods. Results A total of 815 patients were recruited in the study, and the total number of admissions was 1,836. The number of patients in Period A was 232 (median age: 61 [IQR 49-71] years, male 54.7%) with 580 admissions, in Period B was 258 (median age: 63 [IQR 49-71] years, male 53.1%) with 566 admissions, and in Period C was 325 (median age: 62 [IQR 52-70] years, male 57.8%) with 690 admissions. The number of transfusion episodes in Periods A to C was 721, 923 and 803 respectively. The proportion of single-unit transfusion increased from 21.8% in Period A to 81.8% in Periods B (p<0.001) and 79.8% in Period C (p<0.001) respectively. The mean transfusion trigger Hb levels were 7.2±1.1 g/dL and 7.2±0.9 g/dL in Periods A and B respectively, and decreased to 6.6±0.9 in Period C (p<0.001 and <0.001). The proportion of transfusions with trigger Hb level >7g/dL decreased from 64.8% and 67.1% in Periods A and B to 17.7% in Period C (p<0.001 and <0.001) (TABLE 1). The total number of RBC transfused in the center was 1,317 units, 1,116 units and 990 units in Periods A to C respectively. RBC transfusion rate per patient-day of hospitalization reduced by 23% in Period B (p<0.001) and by 37% in Period C (p<0.001) respectively. The median length of hospital stay [IQR] was 7 [5-14], 6 [4-16] and 6 [4-13] days in Periods A to C. The in-patient mortality rates were 7.1%, 7.9% and 8.7% in Periods A to C. There was no statistically significant difference in the length of stay and in-patient mortality between different periods (TABLE 2). Conclusions Our patient blood management program shows that both single-unit policy and lower Hb transfusion trigger are effective measures to reduce RBC use in hematology patients, without compromising the length of stay and inpatient mortality. Subgroup analysis could determine if restrictive transfusion strategies are applicable to all patients. Prospective studies including the occurrence of transfusion incidents and cost-effectiveness as outcome variables are useful to confirm our findings and substantiate the practicability of patient blood management. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.