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Transfusion practice varies widely in cardiac surgery: Results from a national registry

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Submitted by

Mark Ferguson

Source

Source Name: Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

Source URL: http://www.jtcvsonline.org/article/S0022-5223(13)01281-6/abstract

Author(s)

Zoe K. McQuilten, Nick Andrianopoulos, Erica M. Wood, Merrole F. Cole-Sinclair, John J. McNeil, Peter A. Cameron, Christopher M. Reid, Andrew E. Newcomb, Julian A. Smith, Louise E. Phillips

The authors reviewed transfusion practices after cardiac surgery in Australia and New Zealand using a database of nearly 43,000 patients. Transfusion rates for >=1 unit varied 3-fold (22% to 67%), for >=5 units varied 5-fold, >=1 platelet pack varied 3-fold, >=1 FFP varied 4 fold, and >=1 cryoprecipitate varied 20-fold. The differences were not explained by patient, surgical, or hospital characteristics.