Factors affecting patient-reported outcomes after red blood cell transfusion in medical patients

Physical variables like mortality or cardiac events were used to evaluate the requirement of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. However, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of blood transfusion recipients were seldom assessed. The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients before and after RBC transfusion was compared in this study.

The study period was February to June 2016. Standardized generic and anemia symptom-specific HRQoL instruments were administered to patients receiving RBC transfusion in the medical unit of a single center. The primary outcome was the change in HRQoL scores on Days 1 and 7 posttransfusion from baseline values on the day of transfusion (Day 0). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to study the effect of transfusion strategy and other factors on PRO.

The analysis included 99 general medical patients. The median (interquartile range) pretransfusion hemoglobin level was 72 (66-78) g/L. Two or more units of RBCs were prescribed to 45 patients (45%) on Day 0. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Anemia Subscale improved significantly on Days 1 and 7 by effect sizes of 0.41 and 0.38, respectively (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that lower baseline HRQoL scores were associated with better PRO on both Day 1 and Day 7 (p < 0.001). Transfusion trigger and number of RBC units transfused did not affect the change in HRQoL.

Worse pretransfusion HRQoL is a predictor of improvement in PRO after blood transfusion. There is no evidence that a restrictive transfusion or single-unit policy jeopardizes PRO.