Red blood cell transfusions for preterm infants: the role of evidence-based medicine

Increasingly clinicians attempt to base decisions regarding patient management on the results of clinical studies in addition to expert opinion and their own practical experience. In this article, the author reviews the published studies available to assist clinicians to make evidence-based decisions in three topics related to small volume red blood cell (RBC) transfusions for preterm infants; namely, studies examining the effects of RBC transfusions on possible symptoms of anemia such as tachypnea, apnea or other cardiorespiratory irregularities, studies investigating the collection and transfusion of umbilical cord blood and finally studies addressing the duration of storage and use of additive solutions for RBCs for transfusion to neonates. Based on the review of these studies, guidelines for small volume RBC transfusions in preterm infants are suggested.