Association between in-ICU red blood cells transfusion and 1-year mortality in ICU survivors

by Alice Blet, Joel B. McNeil, Julie Josse, Bernard Cholley, Raphaël Cinotti, Gad Cotter, Agnès Dauvergne, Beth Davison, Kévin Duarte, Jacques Duranteau, Marie-Céline Fournier, Etienne Gayat, Samir Jaber, Sigismond Lasocki, Thomas Merkling, Katell Peoc’h… 

 

Critical Care volume 26, Article number: 307 (2022) 

 

Background

Impact of in-ICU transfusion on long-term outcomes remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess in critical-care survivors the association between in-ICU red blood cells transfusion and 1-year mortality.

Methods

FROG-ICU, a multicenter European study enrolling all-comers critical care patients was analyzed (n = 1551). Association between red blood cells transfusion administered in intensive care unit and 1-year mortality in critical care survivors was analyzed using an augmented inverse probability of treatment weighting-augmented inverse probability of censoring weighting method to control confounders.

Results

Among the 1551 ICU-survivors, 42% received at least one unit of red blood cells while in intensive care unit. Patients in the transfusion group had greater severity scores than those in the no-transfusion group. According to unweighted analysis, 1-year post-critical care mortality was greater in the transfusion group compared to the no-transfusion group (hazard ratio (HR) 1.78, 95% CI 1.45–2.16). Weighted analyses including 40 confounders, showed that transfusion remained associated with a higher risk of long-term mortality (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.06–1.46).

Conclusions

Our results suggest a high incidence of in-ICU RBC transfusion and that in-ICU transfusion is associated with a higher 1-year mortality among in-ICU survivors.