Liberal versus Restrictive Guidelines for Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Preterm Infants

Abstract

It is important to limit RBC transfusion in critically ill neonates. The implementation of transfusion guidelines in NICUs reduces the number of transfusions and the donor exposure. Few clinical trials have been performed with the aim to compare the risk/benefit ratio of restrictive versus liberal transfusion criteria. This study aimed to contribute to this argument. The study compared restrictive versus liberal transfusion in preterm neonates. One hundred preterm neonates were randomly and equally divided into two groups with 50 neonates in each group. The first group received transfusions according to the restrictive policy while the second group received transfusions according the liberal policy. All participants were subjected to careful history taking, thorough clinical examination and laboratory assessment including CBC and blood gases assessment before and after transfusion. They were also subjected to meticulous follow up for the appearance of any complications and for the final outcome