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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
Practice and costs of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in an oncological unit
1Department of Oncology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø. jan.norum@unn.no
Background:
Cancer related anemia impairs patient functioning. Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and erythropoietin (EPO) may relieve fatigue. Cost-effectiveness data have been requested.
Patients And Methods:
All transfusions administered at the Department of Oncology, University Hospital of North Norway (UNN) in 2005 were analysed, with a total of 118 patients entering the study. A cost of transfusion analysis was added and a sensitivity analysis conducted to clarify robustness. The 118 patients received 613 units of erythrocytes. In 6% of cases, the transfusion was the only cause of a hospital visit. One fourth of patients had bone marrow infiltration and two-thirds had undergone chemotherapy. The mean Hb levels of patients prior to and following transfusion were in the range 8.4-8.8 g/dl and 10.2-10.6 g/dl, respectively; one-third reached a non-anemic level (Hb > or = 11.0 g/dl). The median time interval between transfusions was three weeks and the annual cost was calculated at Euro 1,069/patient.
Conclusion:
RBC-transfusion has a low cost.
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