Transfusion
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Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion may prolong recovery in some patients, perhaps due to changes that occur during more prolonged RBC storage. We examined the impact of RBC transfusion and the age of transfused RBC units on clinical outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). ⋯ The importance of RBC storage time does not appear to influence clinical outcomes in HSCT. Patients with increased RBC transfusion requirements have greater toxicity after HSCT. Whether RBC transfusion contributes to toxicity, however, remains unclear.
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The association of red blood cell (RBC) storage on morbidity outcome after cardiac surgery is debated. We sought to clarify the association of the age of transfused blood on outcome in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. ⋯ Our data support previous suggestions of an association between transfusion of older RBCs and poorer outcome in cardiac surgery patients. Randomized controlled trials are required to determine the true causal nature of any such association.