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Blood transfusions in children: a multi-institutional analysis of practices and complications

Anthony D Slonim1, Jill G Joseph, Wendy M Turenne

  • 1Children's National Medical Center and the George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20010, USA. aslonim@cnmc.org

Transfusion
|September 27, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Blood product transfusions are common in children, with rare complications. This study analyzed transfusion rates and outcomes in pediatric patients, highlighting variations among different patient groups.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Hematology
  • Transfusion Medicine
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Blood product transfusions are essential healthcare resources with existing guidelines.
  • Variability in transfusion practices, especially in pediatric populations, necessitates further investigation.
  • Understanding transfusion risks in children is limited by single-institution studies due to the rarity of events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the epidemiology of blood product transfusions in hospitalized children.
  • To determine the rates of transfusion and associated complications in a large pediatric cohort.
  • To identify patient populations with higher transfusion rates and analyze resource utilization.

Main Methods:

  • A nonconcurrent cohort study was conducted.
  • Data were collected from pediatric patients (≤18 years) hospitalized between 2001 and 2003.
  • Thirty-five academic children's hospitals participating in the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) were included.

Main Results:

  • Nearly 5% (51,720) of pediatric patients received transfusions, with red blood cells and platelets being most common.
  • Transfusion rates were highest in children with neutropenia, agranulocytosis, and sickle cell crisis.
  • Complications occurred in 0.95% of transfused patients, equating to 10.7 complications per 1,000 units transfused.

Conclusions:

  • Blood product administration is a frequent practice in pediatric academic hospitals.
  • Complications arising from transfused blood products in children are infrequent.
  • Epidemiological data can enhance understanding of transfusion practices in vulnerable pediatric populations.
Abstract

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