Population
Patients enrolled in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for different types of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) usage, (57 RCTs).
Intervention
Fresh frozen plasma.
Comparison
Various comparators, including: no FFP/plasma; a non-blood product; a different blood product; different formulations of FFP.
Outcome
Most clinical uses of FFP, recommended by practice guidelines, were not supported by evidence from randomized trials. In particular, there was little evidence for the effectiveness of the prophylactic use of FFP. Many published trials on the use of FFP enrolled small numbers of patients, and provided inadequate information on the ability of the trial to detect meaningful differences in outcomes between the two patient groups. Other concerns about the design of the trials included the dose of FFP used, and the potential for bias. No studies took adequate account of the extent to which adverse effects might negate the clinical benefits of treatment with FFP.