Predictors of Marque et al for Blood Transfusion in the Week Following Discharge from the Medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

 

Patient selection: patient admitted to the medical ICU

 

The strongest predictor for blood transfusion after discharge was a hospital admission for sepsis (odds ratio 342).

 

Additional risk factors identified on multiple logistic regression analysis:

(1) malignancy

(2) female gender

(3) higher LOD (logistic organ dysfunction) score at discharge from the ICU

(4) older age (an age > 65 was somewhat arbitrarily chosen for the implementation)

 

Factors associated with reduced likelihood of blood transfusion:

(1) use of vasopressors in the ICU

(2) normal hemoglobin when discharged from the ICU

 

Limitations:

• Although 428 patients were studied most had cardiovascular and/or lung diseases.

• Only 7% of patients were admitted with hemorrhage. Gastrointestinal bleeding and chronic liver disease are not listed as major diagnoses.