Background: Despite the fact that red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is commonly applied in surgical intensive care unit (ICU), the effect of RBC transfusion on long-term outcomes remains undetermined. We aimed to explore the association between RBC transfusion and the long-term prognosis of surgical sepsis survivors.
Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on adult sepsis patients admitted to a tertiary surgical ICU center in China. Patients were divided into transfusion and non-transfusion groups based on the presence of RBC transfusion. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)were performed to balance the potential confounders.
Results: A total of 1421 surgical sepsis survivors were enrolled, including 403 transfused patients and 1018 non-transfused patients. There was a significant difference in 1-year mortality between the two groups (23.1 % vs 12.7 %, HR: 1.539, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.030-2.299, P < 0.001). After PSM and IPTW, transfused patients still showed significantly increased 1-year mortality risks compared to non-transfused individuals (PSM: 23.6 % vs 15.9 %, HR 1.606, 95 % CI 1.036-2.488 P = 0.034; IPTW: 20.1 % vs 12.9 %, HR 1.600, 95 % CI 1.040-2.462 P = 0.032). Among patients with nadir hemoglobin below 70 g/L, 1-year mortality risks in both groups were similar (HR 1.461, 95 % CI 0.909-2.348, P = 0.118). However, among patients with nadir hemoglobin above 70 g/L, RBC transfusion was correlated with increased 1-year mortality risk (HR 1.556, 95 % CI 1.020-2.374, P = 0.040).
Conclusion: For surgical sepsis survivors, RBC transfusion during ICU stay was associated with increased 1-year mortality, especially when patients show hemoglobin levels above 70 g/L.
Keywords: Red blood cell transfusion; Sepsis survivor; Surgical intensive care unit; Surgical sepsis.
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