The Role of RBC Transfusion in the Premature Infant

Effect of blood transfusion on apnoea, bradycardia and hypoxaemia in preterm infants

“…In this respect, it is note-worthy that the studies which, similar to our study, did not find an effect of blood transfusions on apnoea of prematurity were also those which aimed to include all preterm infants consecutively admitted during a defined period, i.e. did not exclude infants who required oxygen or respiratory stimulants [4,10,14].…”

A pilot randomised controlled trial of peripheral fractional oxygen extraction to guide blood transfusions in preterm infants

“…The only published randomised controlled trial of two different transfusion regimens showed no advantage in keeping Hb above 100 g/l. 15 The infants in that study were of similar birth weight and gestational age to the infants in our study, but the number of blood transfusions given was not reported as it was not a primary outcome measure. Another possible way of improving the technique is to combine measurements of peripheral FOE with other measures of the adequacy of tissue oxygenation to produce a set of criteria for giving transfusions in preterm infants.…”

Transfusion Therapy in Neonates

“…between 1988 and 1989 to assess current practices, a similar rate was documented: 38 (78%) of 49 infants with BWs of less than 1500 g received an average of 10 RBC transfusions per infant, with a mean exposure to slightly more than six donors per neonate (Table 1). In addition, about 16% of infants underwent transfusions of other blood compo¬ nents.…”