Red cell transfusion for the management of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage

There is insufficient evidence on the benefits and harms of red blood cell transfusion in acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

A Cochrane review included 3 studies with a total of 126 subjects. Mortality in the transfused groups was 2/37 (5%) and in the non transfused (control) group 0/40 (0%) (RR 5.4, 95% CI 0.27 to 107.09; 2 studies). One trial reported increased coagulation times in the transfused group, and reported these patients to have increased rates of rebleeding. None of the studies reported adverse events directly related to red blood cell transfusion.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (unclear allocation concealment and more than 20% loss to follow up), by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes), and by imprecise results (few patients and wide confidence intervals).

Ədəbiyyat

1. Jairath V, Hearnshaw S, Brunskill SJ, Doree C, Hopewell S, Hyde C, Travis S, Murphy MF. Red cell transfusion for the management of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2010;(9):CD006613. .