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Comparison of Red Blood Cell Transfusion Utilization
J Thromb Haemost; ePub 2016 Oct 28; Belk, et al
Anticoagulant activated factor X (Anti-Xa) protein monitoring was linked with a significantly better reduction in red blood cell transfusions compared with activated partial thromboplastin (aPTT) monitoring alone, according to a retrospective cohort study involving nearly 21,000 individuals.
Participants were diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (n=14,822), ischemic stroke (n=1,568), or venous thromboembolism (VTE) (n=4,414) between 2009 and 2013. Investigators matched Anti-Xa cases to aPTT controls, and looked at significant drivers of transfusions. Among the results:
- Among patients with ACS, anti-Xa patients had 18% fewer RBC transfusions than aPTT patients.
- Anti-Xa patients with stroke and VTE had 8% and 5% fewer transfusions than aPTT patients, respectively.
- After controlling for certain variables, Anti-Xa patients were 84% less likely to have a transfusion while hospitalized for ACS.
- Anti-Xa patients hospitalized for stroke and VTE were 59% and 65% less likely to have a transfusion, respectively.
Belk K, Laposata M, Craver C. A comparison of red blood cell transfusion utilization between anti-activated factor X and activated partial thromboplastin monitoring in patients receiving unfractionated heparin. [Published online ahead of print October 28, 2016]. J Thromb Haemost. doi:10.1111/jth.13476.