American journal of surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Randomized trial comparing packed red cell blood transfusion with and without leukocyte depletion for gastrointestinal surgery.
Allogeneic transfusion is associated with postoperative infections that significantly prolong hospital stays and increase costs. Recent studies suggest that filtering leukocytes from blood prior to transfusion reduces the risk of postoperative infection associated with blood transfusion. We compared the incidence of postoperative infections, hospital stays, and hospital charges of gastrointestinal surgery patients transfused with packed red cells or leukocyte-depleted cells. ⋯ Filtering blood of leukocytes prior to transfusion for elective gastrointestinal surgery is associated with lower risk of postoperative infection, shorter postoperative stays, and lower hospital charges.