Red blood cell transfusion is associated with increased hemolysis and an acute phase response in a subset of critically ill children.

ABSTRACT: In healthy adults, transfusion of older stored red blood cells (RBCs) produces extravascular hemolysis and circulating non-transferrin-bound iron. In a prospective, observational study of critically ill children, we examined the effect of RBC storage duration on the extent of hemolysis by comparing laboratory measurements obtained before, and 4 hr after, RBC transfusion (N = 100) or saline/albumin infusion (N = 20). Transfusion of RBCs stored for longer than 4 weeks significantly increased plasma free hemoglobin (P < 0.05), indirect bilirubin (P < 0.05), serum iron (P < 0.001), and non-transferrin-bound iron (P < 0.01). However, days of storage duration poorly correlated (R(2) <0.10) with all measured indicators of hemolysis and inflammation. These results suggest that, in critically ill c

SUBMITTER: L'Acqua C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4831067 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature