1.
Restrictive versus liberal blood transfusion for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (trigger): pragmatic, cluster randomised, feasibility trial
Gray A, Jairath V, Kahan B, Dore C, Palmer K, Travis S, Logan R, Walsh T, Murphy M
Emergency Medicine Journal. 2014;31((9):):780.. Abstract No. 008
2.
Is fresh-frozen plasma clinically effective? An update of a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (CME)
Yang L, Stanworth S, Hopewell S, Doree C, Murphy M
Transfusion. 2012;52((8):):1673-86.
Abstract
BACKGROUND The clinical use of frozen plasma (FP) continues to increase, both in prophylactic and in therapeutic settings. In 2004, a systematic review of all published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) revealed a lack of evidence that supported the efficacy of FP use. This is an update that includes all new RCTs published since the original review. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Trials involving transfusion of FP up to July 2011 were identified from searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, and the UKBTS/SRI Transfusion Evidence Library. Methodologic quality was assessed. The primary outcome measure was the effect of FP on survival. RESULTS Twenty-one new trials were eligible for inclusion. These covered prophylactic and therapeutic FP use in liver disease, in cardiac surgery, for warfarin anticoagulation reversal, for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura treatment, for plasmapheresis, and in other settings, including burns, shock, and head injury. The largest number of recent RCTs were conducted in cardiac surgery; meta-analysis showed no significant difference for FP use for the outcome of 24-hours postoperative blood loss (weighted mean difference, -35.24[em space]mL; 95% confidence interval, -84.16 to 13.68[em space]mL). Overall, there was no significant benefit for FP use across all the clinical conditions. Only two of the 21 trials fulfilled all the criteria for quality assessment. CONCLUSION Combined with the 2004 review, 80 RCTs have investigated FP with no consistent evidence of significant benefit for prophylactic and therapeutic use across a range of indications evaluated. There has been little improvement in the overall methodologic quality of RCTs conducted in the past few years. Copyright 2012 American Association of Blood Banks.
3.
Early infectious complications in allogeneic marrow transplant recipients with acute leukemia: effects of prophylactic measures
Buckner CD, Clift RA, Thomas ED, Hersman J, Sanders JE, Stewart PS, Wade JC, Murphy M, Counts G, Meyers JD
Infection. 1983;11((5):):243-50.
Abstract
One hundred eighty-two patients with acute leukemia underwent allogeneic marrow transplantation and received one of two forms of infection prophylaxis: isolation and decontamination procedures in laminar air flow rooms (90 patients) or prophylactic granulocyte transfusion from a single family member (92 patients). Infection acquisition and survival were analyzed from the time of admission to 100 days posttransplant. There were 20 major local infections in the laminar air flow group and 16 in the prophylactic granulocyte group. Of the patients in the laminar air flow group, 24 (27%) had 27 episodes of bacteremia, while 23 (25%) of the prophylactic granulocyte group had 25 episodes of bacteremia. There were no significant differences in infection acquisition between the two groups during the period of granulocytopenia or after engraftment. The mortality during the first 100 days was 28% for the laminar air flow group and 35% for the prophylactic granulocyte group. Thirteen patients (14%) in the laminar air flow group and five (5%) in the prophylactic granulocyte group died with bacterial or fungal infections. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in overall incidence of or mortality from interstitial pneumonitis which was the predominant cause of death. However, the subset of patients who were seronegative for cytomegalovirus antibody at the time of transplant and received granulocytes from seropositive donors had a significantly higher incidence of and mortality from cytomegalovirus interstitial pneumonitis.