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Credit: UAB Hospital
A new study indicates that transfusing a balanced ratio of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells (RBCs) can decrease bleeding better than blood products with a higher ratio of RBCs, but this does not seem to affect mortality rates.
Patients who received blood products with a plasma-platelet-RBC ratio of 1:1:1 were more likely to achieve hemostasis and less likely to experience exsanguination than patients who received blood products with a ratio of 1:1:2.
However, there was no significant difference between the two transfusion strategies in overall death rates at 24 hours or at 30 days.
John B. Holcomb, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and his colleagues reported these results in JAMA.
The team conducted a study of 680 severely injured patients who arrived at 1 of 12 Level 1 trauma centers. The patients were predicted to require massive transfusion and were randomly assigned to receive blood products with ratios of 1:1:1 or 1:1:2 during active resuscitation, in addition to all local standard-of-care interventions.
The researchers found no significant differences for the primary outcomes of the study: mortality at 24 hours—12.7% in the 1:1:1 group and 17.0% in the 1:1:2 group (P=0.12)—or at 30 days—22.4% and 26.1%, respectively (P=0.26).
However, the incidence of exsanguination, which was the predominant cause of death within the first 24 hours, was significantly lower in the 1:1:1 group than in the 1:1:2 group—9.2% and 14.6%, respectively (P=0.03).
And more patients in the 1:1:1 group achieved hemostasis than in the 1:1:2 group—86% and 78%, respectively (P=0.006).
On the other hand, there were no significant differences between the two groups for rates of multiple inflammatory-mediated complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, infection, sepsis, venous thromboembolism, and transfusion-related complications.
Based on these results, Dr Holcomb and his colleagues recommended that clinicians consider using a 1:1:1 transfusion protocol, starting with the initial units transfused while patients are actively bleeding, and then transitioning to laboratory-guided treatment once they’ve achieved hemorrhage control.
The team added that future studies should concentrate on the physiologically relevant period of active bleeding after injury and use acute complications and later deaths as safety endpoints. 
Credit: UAB Hospital
A new study indicates that transfusing a balanced ratio of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells (RBCs) can decrease bleeding better than blood products with a higher ratio of RBCs, but this does not seem to affect mortality rates.
Patients who received blood products with a plasma-platelet-RBC ratio of 1:1:1 were more likely to achieve hemostasis and less likely to experience exsanguination than patients who received blood products with a ratio of 1:1:2.
However, there was no significant difference between the two transfusion strategies in overall death rates at 24 hours or at 30 days.
John B. Holcomb, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and his colleagues reported these results in JAMA.
The team conducted a study of 680 severely injured patients who arrived at 1 of 12 Level 1 trauma centers. The patients were predicted to require massive transfusion and were randomly assigned to receive blood products with ratios of 1:1:1 or 1:1:2 during active resuscitation, in addition to all local standard-of-care interventions.
The researchers found no significant differences for the primary outcomes of the study: mortality at 24 hours—12.7% in the 1:1:1 group and 17.0% in the 1:1:2 group (P=0.12)—or at 30 days—22.4% and 26.1%, respectively (P=0.26).
However, the incidence of exsanguination, which was the predominant cause of death within the first 24 hours, was significantly lower in the 1:1:1 group than in the 1:1:2 group—9.2% and 14.6%, respectively (P=0.03).
And more patients in the 1:1:1 group achieved hemostasis than in the 1:1:2 group—86% and 78%, respectively (P=0.006).
On the other hand, there were no significant differences between the two groups for rates of multiple inflammatory-mediated complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, infection, sepsis, venous thromboembolism, and transfusion-related complications.
Based on these results, Dr Holcomb and his colleagues recommended that clinicians consider using a 1:1:1 transfusion protocol, starting with the initial units transfused while patients are actively bleeding, and then transitioning to laboratory-guided treatment once they’ve achieved hemorrhage control.
The team added that future studies should concentrate on the physiologically relevant period of active bleeding after injury and use acute complications and later deaths as safety endpoints.
Credit: UAB Hospital
A new study indicates that transfusing a balanced ratio of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells (RBCs) can decrease bleeding better than blood products with a higher ratio of RBCs, but this does not seem to affect mortality rates.
Patients who received blood products with a plasma-platelet-RBC ratio of 1:1:1 were more likely to achieve hemostasis and less likely to experience exsanguination than patients who received blood products with a ratio of 1:1:2.
However, there was no significant difference between the two transfusion strategies in overall death rates at 24 hours or at 30 days.
John B. Holcomb, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and his colleagues reported these results in JAMA.
The team conducted a study of 680 severely injured patients who arrived at 1 of 12 Level 1 trauma centers. The patients were predicted to require massive transfusion and were randomly assigned to receive blood products with ratios of 1:1:1 or 1:1:2 during active resuscitation, in addition to all local standard-of-care interventions.
The researchers found no significant differences for the primary outcomes of the study: mortality at 24 hours—12.7% in the 1:1:1 group and 17.0% in the 1:1:2 group (P=0.12)—or at 30 days—22.4% and 26.1%, respectively (P=0.26).
However, the incidence of exsanguination, which was the predominant cause of death within the first 24 hours, was significantly lower in the 1:1:1 group than in the 1:1:2 group—9.2% and 14.6%, respectively (P=0.03).
And more patients in the 1:1:1 group achieved hemostasis than in the 1:1:2 group—86% and 78%, respectively (P=0.006).
On the other hand, there were no significant differences between the two groups for rates of multiple inflammatory-mediated complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, infection, sepsis, venous thromboembolism, and transfusion-related complications.
Based on these results, Dr Holcomb and his colleagues recommended that clinicians consider using a 1:1:1 transfusion protocol, starting with the initial units transfused while patients are actively bleeding, and then transitioning to laboratory-guided treatment once they’ve achieved hemorrhage control.
The team added that future studies should concentrate on the physiologically relevant period of active bleeding after injury and use acute complications and later deaths as safety endpoints.