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Cochrane Evaluates Red Blood Cell Transfusion Policies
Cochrane Database Syst Rev; 2017 Jan 27; Estcourt, et al
There is low-quality evidence that a restrictive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion policy reduces the number of RBC transfusions in people with hematological malignancies, according to a new Cochrane review.
Investigators included 3 randomized trials (n=156), 1 nonrandomized study (n=84), and 2 ongoing randomized trials (n=530).
They found that a restrictive RBC transfusion policy:
- May reduce the number of RBC transfusions received by an individual.
- May have little or no effect on whether an individual receives an RBC transfusion; death due to any cause; bleeding; or hospital stay.
The authors said they were uncertain whether a restrictive RBC transfusion policy affects quality of life, or the risk of developing a serious infection. They added that findings from the 2 ongoing studies are due in January 2018, but those findings will not answer their review’s primary question.
Estcourt L, Malouf R, Trivella M, Fergusson D, Hopewell S, Murphy M. Restrictive or liberal red blood cell transfusion policies for people with blood cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Jan 27;1: CD011305. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011305.pub2.