A Randomized Clinical Trial of Red Blood Cell Transfusion Triggers in Cardiac Surgery [1]
The Cleveland Clinic group performed a randomized clinical trial comparing transfusion triggers of 24% vs. 28% from 2007-2014. The study included 722 patients who underwent either CABG or valve surgery. While the lower trigger group received fewer transfusions, adverse outcomes did not differ between the groups. Because the lower trigger group had equivalent outcomes but fewer transfusions, the authors recommend using a lower trigger perioperatively.