Objectives: To determine if the age of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) is associated with adverse events or outcomes in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH).
Aim: Analyse data on PRBC age to complications and outcomes in patients with SAH.
Background: Patients who receive a PRBC transfusion after SAH have a higher rate of complications, and older PRBC age may be responsible for this.
Methods/materials: We prospectively recorded clinical and demographic data, acute adverse effects related to transfusion, major hospital events, radiographic cerebral infarction, PRBC age and outcomes in 119 patients with SAH who received a PRBC transfusion. Patients were followed for outcomes at 14 days or discharge, 28 days and 3 months with the modified Rankin scale (a measure of neurologic function).
Results: In 241 PRBC transfusions, there was new fever in 36 (15%), hypotension in 23 (10%), pulmonary oedema or symptomatic respiratory distress in 5 (2%) and rash in 1 (1%). Age of PRBCs administered was not associated with vasospasm, cerebral infarction, acute adverse events or outcomes (P > 0·1 for all).
Conclusions: In this small registry of patients with SAH, the age of transfused PRBCs was not associated with adverse events or outcomes.
© 2010 The Authors. Transfusion Medicine © 2010 British Blood Transfusion Society.