Risk factors for post-ICU red blood cell transfusion: a prospective study

Factors predictive of the need for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in the intensive care unit (ICU) have been identified, but risk factors for transfusion after ICU discharge are unknown. This study aims identifies risk factors for RBC transfusion after discharge from the ICU.

A prospective, monocentric observational study was conducted over a 6-month period in a 24-bed medical ICU in a French university hospital. Between June and December 2003, 550 critically ill patients were consecutively enrolled in the study.

A total of 428 patients survived after treatment in the ICU; 47 (11% of the survivors, 8.5% of the whole population) required RBC transfusion within 7 days after ICU discharge. Admission for sepsis (odds ratio [OR] 341.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 20.35-5734.51), presence of an underlying malignancy (OR 32.6, 95%CI 3.8-280.1), female sex (OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.2-24.9), Logistic Organ Dysfunction score at ICU discharge (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.1-1.9) and age (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.12) were independently associated with RBC transfusion after ICU stay. Haemoglobin level at discharge predicted the need for delayed RBC transfusion. Use of vasopressors (OR 0.01, 95%CI 0.001-0.17) and haemoglobin level at discharge from the ICU (OR 0.02, 95% CI 0.007-0.09; P < 0.001) were strong independent predictors of transfusion of RBC 1 week after ICU discharge.

Sepsis, underlying conditions, unresolved organ failures and haemoglobin level at discharge were related to an increased risk for RBC transfusion after ICU stay. We suggest that strategies to prevent transfusion should focus on homogeneous subgroups of patients and take into account post-ICU needs for RBC transfusion.