Background
The characteristics of blood recipients including diagnoses associated with transfusion and post-transfusion survival are unreported in Brazil. The goals of this analysis were: 1) to describe blood utilization according to clinical diagnoses and patient characteristics at a large public hospital, Hospital das Clinicas (HC), a tertiary teaching hospital and trauma center in the city of Sao Paulo; 2) to determine the factors associated with survival of blood recipients.
Methods
A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on all inpatients in 2004. Data came from three sources were merged: HC electronic admission files, blood issue files, and the national death registry. The first two files consist of data about patient characteristics, clinical diagnosis, and transfusion information. Analyses comparing transfused and non-transfused patients were conducted. The third file was used to determine survival status of recipients up to three years after last transfusion. Logistic regression was conducted among transfused patients to examine survival curves and characteristics associated with follow up patient survival.
Results
In 2004, 30,779 patients were admitted to HC, with 3,835 (12.4%) transfused. These patients had 10,479 transfusions episodes, consisting of 39,561 transfused components; 16,748 (42%) red cells, 15,828 (40%) platelets and 6,190 (16%) plasma. The median number of components transfused was 3 (range 1 – 656) per patient admission. Mortality during hospitalization was dramatically different for patients whose admissions included transfusion or not (24% vs. 4%). After 1 year, 56% of transfusion recipients were alive. The multivariable model of factors associated with mortality following transfusion showed that the most significant factors in descending order were hospital ward, increasing age, increasing number of components transfused, and type of components received.
Conclusion
Ward and transfusion are markers of underlying medical conditions and are associated with the probability of survival. Platelet transfusions are common and likely reflect the types of patients treated at HC. This comprehensive blood utilization study, first of its kind in Brazil can help in developing transfusion policy analyses in South America.