Effect of red blood cell processing on hemoglobin increment in oncology patients

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of red blood cell processing on the hemoglobin increment in oncology patients requiring packed red blood cell transfusions.

The study population in this prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial included healthy blood donors and oncology patients. Only first-time male donors aged 18 to 30 years with hemoglobin levels between 12.5 and 15 g/dL who were donating whole blood were included. Whole blood was collected in 450 mL triple or quintuple blood bag systems with integral leukoreduction filters. The triple bags were processed using the platelet-rich plasma method (non-Saline-Adenine-Glucose-Mannitol), whereas the quintuple bags were processed via the buffy coat method and leukoreduced using inline leukofilters (leukoreduced Saline-Adenine-Glucose-Mannitol). Enrolled patients were randomly allocated to two groups: Group I received non- Saline-Adenine-Glucose-Mannitol packed red blood units, and Group II received leukoreduced Saline-Adenine-Glucose-Mannitol packed red blood units.

Group II had red blood cell volume loss of 33.81 ± 3.49 mL during processing (p-value < 0.001). The calculated total hemoglobin content was significantly higher in Group I (67.75 ± 3.18 versus 62.47 ± 3.62 g/unit; p value < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between actual total hemoglobin content of Group I and Group II (47.51 ± 2.02 versus 46.44 ± 5.66 g/unit, p = 0.119). No significant difference was observed in the mean hemoglobin increment (Group I: 1.85 ± 0.91 g/dL versus Group II: 1.83 ± 0.64 g/dL, p = 0.887).

Loss of hemoglobin during processing did not affect the hemoglobin increment in oncology patients in our study.