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Fresh Red Cells for Transfusion in Critically Ill Adults: An Economic Evaluation of the Standard Issue Transfusion versus Fresher Red-Cell Use in Intensive Care (TRANSFUSE) Clinical Trial
Irving A, Higgins A, Ady B, Bellomo R, Cooper DJ, French C, Gantner D, Harris A, Irving DO, Murray L, et al
Critical care medicine. 2019
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Trials comparing the effects of transfusing RBC units of different storage durations have considered mortality or morbidity as outcomes. We perform the first economic evaluation alongside a full age of blood clinical trial with a large population assessing the impact of RBC storage duration on quality-of-life and costs in critically ill adults. DESIGN Quality-of-life was measured at 6 months post randomization using the EuroQol 5-dimension 3-level instrument. The economic evaluation considers quality-adjusted life year and cost implications from randomization to 6 months. A generalized linear model was used to estimate incremental costs (2016 U.S. dollars) and quality-adjusted life years, respectively while adjusting for baseline characteristics. SETTING Fifty-nine ICUs in five countries. PATIENTS Adults with an anticipated ICU stay of at least 24 hours when the decision had been made to transfuse at least one RBC unit. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive either the freshest or oldest available compatible RBC units (standard practice) in the hospital transfusion service. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS EuroQol 5-dimension 3-level utility scores were similar at 6 months-0.65 in the short-term and 0.63 in the long-term storage group (difference, 0.02; 95% CI, -0.00 to 0.04; p = 0.10). There were no significant differences in resource use between the two groups apart from 3.0 fewer hospital readmission days (95% CI, -5.3 to -0.8; p = 0.01) during follow-up in the short-term storage group. There were no significant differences in adjusted total costs or quality-adjusted life years between the short- and long-term storage groups (incremental costs, -$2,358; 95% CI, -$5,586 to $711) and incremental quality-adjusted life years: 0.003 quality-adjusted life years (95% CI, -0.003 to 0.008). CONCLUSIONS Without considering the additional supply cost of implementing a freshest available RBC strategy for critical care patients, there is no evidence to suggest that the policy improves quality-of-life or reduces other costs compared with standard transfusion practice.
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2.
Age of red cells for transfusion and outcomes in critically ill adults
Cooper DJ, McQuilten ZK, Nichol A, Ady B, Aubron C, Bailey M, Bellomo R, Gantner D, Irving DO, Kaukonen KM, et al
The New England Journal of Medicine. 2017;377((19):):1858-1867
Abstract
Background It is uncertain whether the duration of red-cell storage affects mortality after transfusion among critically ill adults. Methods In an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial, we assigned critically ill adults to receive either the freshest available, compatible, allogeneic red cells (short-term storage group) or standard-issue (oldest available), compatible, allogeneic red cells (long-term storage group). The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. Results From November 2012 through December 2016, at 59 centers in five countries, 4994 patients underwent randomization and 4919 (98.5%) were included in the primary analysis. Among the 2457 patients in the short-term storage group, the mean storage duration was 11.8 days. Among the 2462 patients in the long-term storage group, the mean storage duration was 22.4 days. At 90 days, there were 610 deaths (24.8%) in the short-term storage group and 594 (24.1%) in the long-term storage group (absolute risk difference, 0.7 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.7 to 3.1; P=0.57). At 180 days, the absolute risk difference was 0.4 percentage points (95% CI, -2.1 to 3.0; P=0.75). Most of the prespecified secondary measures showed no significant between-group differences in outcome. Conclusions The age of transfused red cells did not affect 90-day mortality among critically ill adults. (Funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and others; TRANSFUSE Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12612000453886 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01638416 .).
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A randomised controlled trial of standard transfusion versus fresher red blood cell use in intensive care (TRANSFUSE): protocol and statistical analysis plan
Kaukonen KM, Bailey M, Ady B, Aubron C, French C, Gantner D, Irving D, Murray L, Nichol A, Pettila V, et al
Critical Care & Resuscitation. 2014;16((4):):255-61.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine if using freshest available rather than standard-issue red blood cells (RBCs) can reduce mortality in critically ill intensive care unit patients. Our study is the largest ongoing randomised controlled trial (RCT) of RBC age in critically ill patients and will help determine if the use of the freshest available RBCs should become standard policy for the critically ill. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A double-blind, multicentre, Phase III RCT of 5000 adult ICU patients in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East. INTERVENTIONS Transfusion of the freshest available RBCs in place of standard-care RBCs until hospital discharge. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measure is 90-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcome measures are time to death, 28-day and 180-day mortality, persistent organ dysfunction combined with death, days alive and free of mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy, bloodstream infection in the ICU, length of stay in the ICU and in hospital, proportion of patients with febrile non-haemolytic transfusion reactions, and quality of life at Day 180. RESULTS A detailed statistical analysis plan with predefined subgroups and secondary analyses has been finalised before results being available, to ensure an unbiased final analysis. CONCLUSIONS The pragmatic protocol design has been chosen to facilitate translation of the trial results into practice. The TRANSFUSE trial will have important clinical and policy implications, regardless of the outcome. IS 1441-2772
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Albumin resuscitation for traumatic brain injury: is intracranial hypertension the cause of increased mortality?
Cooper DJ, Myburgh J, Heritier S, Finfer S, Bellomo R, Billot L, Murray L, Vallance S, SAFE-TBI Investigators, Australian, et al
Journal of Neurotrauma. 2013;30((7):):512-8.
Abstract
Mortality is higher in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) resuscitated with albumin compared with saline, but the mechanism for increased mortality is unknown. In patients from the Saline vs. Albumin Fluid Evaluation (SAFE) study with TBI who underwent intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring, interventional data were collected from randomization to day 14 to determine changes in ICP (primary outcome) and in therapies used to treat increased ICP. Pattern mixture modelling, designed to address informative dropouts, was used to compare temporal changes between the albumin and saline groups, and 321 patients were identified, of whom 164 (51.1%) received albumin and 157 (48.9%) received saline. There was a significant linear increase in mean ICP and significantly more deaths in the albumin group compared with saline when ICP monitoring was discontinued during the first week (1.30+0.33 vs. -0.37+0.36, p=0.0006; and 34.4% vs. 17.4%; p=0.006 respectively), but not when monitoring ceased during the second week (-0.08+0.44 vs. -0.23+0.38, p=0.79; and 18.6% vs. 12.1%; p=0.36 respectively). There were statistically significant differences in the mean total daily doses of morphine (-0.42+0.07 vs. -0.66+0.0, p=0.0009), propofol (-0.45+0.11 vs. -0.76+0.11; p=0.034) and norepinephrine (-0.50+0.07 vs. -0.74+0.07) and in temperature (0.03+0.03 vs. 0.16+0.03; p=0.0014) between the albumin and saline groups when ICP monitoring ceased during the first week. The use of albumin for resuscitation in patients with severe TBI is associated with increased ICP during the first week. This is the most likely mechanism of increased mortality in these patients.
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A pilot feasibility trial of allocation of freshest available red blood cells versus standard care in critically ill patients
Aubron C, Syres G, Nichol A, Bailey M, Board J, Magrin G, Murray L, Presneill J, Sutton J, Vallance S, et al
Transfusion. 2012;52((6):):1196-202.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged storage of red blood cells (RBCs) may increase posttransfusion adverse events in critically ill patients. We aimed to evaluate in intensive care unit (ICU) patients 1) the feasibility of allocating freshest available compatible RBCs versus standard care and 2) the suitability of this approach in the design of a large randomized controlled trial (RCT). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Eligible patients from two adult ICUs were randomly assigned to receive either the freshest available compatible RBCs or the standard care (the oldest compatible available RBCs) for all transfusions during their ICU stay. Study group allocation was concealed from patients and bedside clinicians, but the transfusion service was unblinded. The study endpoints were the feasibility of the study procedures, including success of the ICU Web randomization, the ICU staff blinding, and the correct delivery of the RBC units by the transfusion service in accordance with the allocated study group. In addition, we measured the difference in age of RBC units between the two groups. RESULTS During a 3-month period, 177 RBC units were delivered to 51 patients. All study procedures, including randomization, blinding, and delivery of blood in accordance with the study group were successful. The mean (+/-SD) of the mean age of the RBC received by each patient was lower in the "fresher blood" group compared with the standard care group (12.1 [+/-3.8] days vs. 23 [+/-8.4] days; p<0.001). CONCLUSION Randomized delivery of the freshest available RBCs versus standard care to ICU patients who were prescribed transfusion for clinical reasons is feasible, with a clinically relevant degree of storage duration separation achievable between the two study groups. These findings support the feasibility of a future large pragmatic RCT. 2011 American Association of Blood Banks.