Transfusion Triggers in Cardiac Surgery Patients – A Retrospective Review

Aim: To determine the transfusion trigger for cardiac surgery patients and to determine the transfusion pattern in these patients.

Study Design: A retrospective cross sectional observational study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in Department of Transfusion Medicine, SMCH, Chennai, between the periods of 2017-2020.

Methodology: This study was done by reviewing the blood bank records for patients undergoing cardiac surgery from 2017 to 2020. Patients with other comorbid conditions like cirrhosis, malignancy, those who underwent emergency surgeries and death during the surgery were excluded from the study. Patient data like age, diagnosis, number of components transfused, preoperative hemoglobin, and details of surgery done on the respective patients were reviewed from the blood bank records.

Results: A total of 100 patients were included in the study. Mean age of the patients was 53.3 ± 13.6 years. In our sample population 73% of patients underwent CABG procedure and they received packed red blood cell transfusions. Among the PRBC transfusions 93% of patients received liberal transfusions and 7% of patients received restrictive transfusions. Majority of patients in our study population about 58% belong to 45-64 years of age group.

Conclusion: We found that most of the transfusions done in cardiac surgery patients were done on liberal transfusion strategy. Thus, we conclude in our study most of the transfusions done on cardiac surgery patients followed liberal transfusion strategy, which would be less harmful to the patients.