Transfusion
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomized controlled pilot study of adherence to transfusion strategies in cardiac surgery.
It is important to determine the optimal hemoglobin (Hb) concentration for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion for patients undergoing cardiac surgery because increased mortality has been associated with the severity of anemia and exposure to RBCs. Because a definitive trial will require thousands of patients, and because there is variability in transfusion practices, a pilot study was undertaken to determine adherence to proposed strategies. ⋯ Adherence to the evaluated interventions is vital to all randomized controlled trials as it has the potential to affect outcomes. Further pilot studies are required to optimize enrollment and transfusion adherence before a definitive study is conducted.