The survival impact of plasma to red blood cell ratio in massively transfused non-trauma patients

High Fresh Frozen Plasma to Red Blood Cell Ratio and Survival Outcomes in Blunt Trauma

Importance

Current trauma-care protocols advocate early administration of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in a ratio close to 1:1 with red blood cells (RBCs) to manage trauma-induced coagulopathy in patients with severe blunt trauma. However, the benefits of a higher FFP to RBC ratio have not yet been established.

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of a high FFP to RBC transfusion ratio in the treatment of severe blunt trauma and explore the nonlinear relationship between the ratio of blood products used and patient outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a multicenter cohort study retrospectively analyzing data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank, including adult patients with severe blunt trauma without severe head injury (Injury Severity Score ≥16 and head Abbreviated Injury Scale <3) between 2019 and 2022.

Exposures

Patients were categorized into 2 groups based on the ratio of FFP to RBC: the high-FFP group (ratio >1) and the low-FFP group (ratio ≤1).

Main Outcomes and Measures

All-cause in-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Additionally, the occurrence of transfusion-related adverse events was evaluated.

Results

Among the 1954 patients (median [IQR] age, 61 [41-77] years; 1243 male [63.6%]) analyzed, 976 (49.9%) had a high FFP to RBC ratio. Results from logistic regression, weighted by inverse probability treatment weighting, demonstrated an association between the group with a high-FFP ratio and lower in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56-0.93) compared with a low-FFP ratio. Nonlinear trends were noted, suggesting a potential ceiling effect on transfusion benefits.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, a high FFP to RBC ratio was associated with favorable survival in patients with severe blunt trauma. These outcomes highlight the importance of revising the current transfusion protocols to incorporate a high FFP to RBC ratio, warranting further research on optimal patient treatment.

Retrospective evaluation of fresh platelet concentrate administration in dogs: Patient characteristics, outcomes, and transfusion practices in 189 transfusion episodes (2008-2019)

OBJECTIVE

To describe patient characteristics, underlying disease processes, clinical outcomes, transfusion dose and type (therapeutic or prophylactic), platelet count changes, and adverse events associated with platelet concentrate (PC) administration in dogs.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

University teaching hospital.

ANIMALS

A total of 149 dogs, representing 189 PC transfusion episodes.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

In this population, 39 of 149 dogs (26.2%) were diagnosed with primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, 22 of 149 (14.8%) had decreased bone marrow production, 12 of 149 (8.0%) received PC during a massive transfusion, 3 of 149 (2.0%) had congenital thrombocytopathia, 59 of 149 (39.6%) had severe thrombocytopenia of other causes, and 14 of 149 (9.4%) underwent transfusion for miscellaneous causes without a documented severe thrombocytopenia. In 117 of 149 dogs (78.5%), >1 site of hemorrhage was noted. The most common sites of hemorrhage were the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in 89 of 149 (59.7%) and the skin in 78 of 149 (52.3%). Overall survival to discharge was 59.1% (88/149). The median PC dose was 0.8 units per 10 kg of body weight per transfusion episode (range: 0.2-6.7). Of 189 episodes, 29 of 189 (15.7%) were prophylactic, and 158 of 189 (83.6%) were therapeutic. For 99 of 189 transfusion episodes, paired pre- and postplatelet counts were available within 24 hours. The median platelet count change was 5.0 × 10⁹ /L (5000/μL; range: -115 × 10⁹ /L to 158 × 10⁹ /L [-115,000 to 158,000/μL]); the posttransfusion platelet count was significantly higher than pretransfusion (P < 0.0001). The increase in platelet count after transfusion was greater in the prophylactic group than the therapeutic group (P = 0.0167). Transfusion reactions were suspected during 2 of 168 episodes (1.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia was the most common disease process that resulted in PC transfusion. PC was more frequently administered to animals with active hemorrhage rather than prophylactically, and most dogs had evidence of hemorrhage in multiple organ systems, particularly the GI tract and skin. PC transfusions typically appeared safe, and the median platelet count increased after transfusion.

Association between perioperative plasma transfusion and in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing surgeries without massive transfusion: A nationwide retrospective cohort study

Background

An aggressive plasma transfusion is associated with a decreased mortality in traumatic patients requiring massive transfusion (MT). However, it is controversial whether non-traumatic or non-massively transfused patients can benefit from high doses of plasma.

Methods

We performed a nationwide retrospective cohort study using data from Hospital Quality Monitoring System, which collected anonymized inpatient medical records from 31 provinces in mainland China. We included the patients who had at least one record of surgical procedure and received red blood cell transfusion on the day of surgery from 2016 to 2018. We excluded those receiving MT or diagnosed with coagulopathy at admission. The exposure variable was the total volume of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfused, and the primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The relationship between them was assessed using multivariable logistic regression model adjusting 15 potential confounders.

Results

A total of 69319 patients were included, and 808 died among them. A 100-ml increase in FFP transfusion volume was associated with a higher in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.06, p < 0.001) after controlling for the confounders. FFP transfusion volume was also associated with superficial surgical site infection, nosocomial infection, prolonged length of hospital stay, ventilation time, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The significant association between FFP transfusion volume and in-hospital mortality was extended to the subgroups of cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, and thoracic or abdominal surgery.

Conclusions

A higher volume of perioperative FFP transfusion was associated with an increased in-hospital mortality and inferior postoperative outcomes in surgical patients without MT.

Pro-Con Debate: Prehospital Blood Transfusion-Should It Be Adopted for Civilian Trauma?

Exsanguination is the leading cause of death in severely injured patients; nevertheless, prehospital blood transfusion (PHT) remains a controversial topic. Here, we review the pros and cons of PHT, which is now routine in treatment of military trauma patients in the civilian setting. While PHT may improve survival in those who suffer blunt injury or require prolonged transport from the site of injury, PHT for civilian trauma generally is not supported by high-quality evidence. This article was originally presented as a pro-con debate at the 2020 meeting of the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care.

Pro-Con Debate: Viscoelastic Hemostatic Assays Should Replace Fixed Ratio Massive Transfusion Protocols in Trauma

Major trauma patients at risk of traumatic coagulopathy are commonly treated with early clotting factor replacement to maintain hemostasis and prevent microvascular bleeding. In the United States, trauma transfusions are often dosed by empiric, low-ratio massive transfusion protocols, which pair plasma and platelets in some ratio relative to the red cells, such as the "1:1:1" combination of 1 units of red cells, 1 unit of plasma, and 1 donor's worth of pooled platelets. Empiric transfusion increases the rate of overtransfusion when unnecessary blood products are administered based on a formula and not on at patient's hemostatic profile. Viscoelastic hemostatic assays (VHAs) are point-of-care hemostatic assays that provided detailed information about abnormal clotting pathways. VHAs are used at many centers to better target hemostatic therapies in trauma. This Pro/Con section will address whether VHA guidance should replace empiric fixed ratio protocols in major trauma.

Contemporary Transfusion Science and Challenges

Health care professionals must understand the impact of blood product transfusions and transfusion therapy procedures to ensure high-quality patient care, positive outcomes, and wise use of resources in blood management programs. Understanding transfusions of blood and blood products is also important because of the number of treatments performed, which affects individual patients and health care system resources. This article reviews research findings to acquaint health care professionals with the most successful protocols for blood, blood product, and coagulation factor transfusions. Damage control resuscitation in bleeding trauma patients, protocols for patients without trauma who are undergoing surgical procedures that place them at risk for excessive bleeding, and protocols for patients with sepsis are addressed. Emerging research continues to help guide mass transfusion treatments (restrictive vs liberal, balanced, and goal-directed treatment). Although available study results provide some guidance, questions remain. Additional research by health care professionals is needed.

Fresh Frozen Plasma-to-Packed Red Blood Cell Ratio and Mortality in Traumatic Hemorrhage: Nationwide Analysis of 4,427 Patients

BACKGROUND

Despite the presence of highly reliable data, studies on packed red blood cells (pRBC):fresh frozen plasma (FFP) ratio suffer from limited sample size and the presence of survivor bias. We sought to study the association between FFP:pRBC and early mortality in the hemorrhaging trauma patient.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective nationwide cohort that included all TQIP participating hospitals (2013 to 2016). We included all trauma patients who were transfused ≥10 pRBCs and ≥1 FFP within 24 hours. We excluded transferred patients and those who died in the emergency department or had missing/inaccurate transfusion data. Patients were assigned to 7 FFP:pRBC cohorts (range 1:1 to 1:6, and 1:6+) only if the ratio was similar at 4 and 24 hours and, to avoid survival bias, were excluded otherwise. Multivariable analyses correcting for all available confounders (age, demographics, comorbidities, vital signs, Injury Severity Score [ISS] and mechanism, procedures performed) were derived to study the independent relationship between FFP:pRBC and 24-hour mortality.

RESULTS

Of 1,002,595 patients, 4,427 patients were included. Mean age was 41 years, 79% were males, 61% had blunt trauma, and median ISS was 29. Most patients were transfused in a 1:1, 1:2, or 1:3 ratio (31%, 41%, and 11%, respectively); mortality ranged between 28% for 1:1 and 62% for 1:4. In multivariable analyses, the odds of mortality independently and incrementally increased to 1.23 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.48) for a 1:2 ratio, 2.11 (95% CI 1.42 to 3.13) for 1:4, and as high as 4.11 (95% CI 2.31 to 7.31) for 1:5 (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A 1:1 FFP:pRBC ratio is associated with the lowest mortality in the hemorrhaging trauma patient, and mortality increases with decreasing ratios.

A regional massive hemorrhage protocol developed through a modified Delphi technique

BACKGROUND

A massive hemorrhage protocol (MHP) enables rapid delivery of blood components in a patient who is exsanguinating pending definitive hemorrhage control, but there is variability in MHP implementation rates, content and compliance owing to challenges presented by infrequent activation, variable team performance and patient acuity. The goal of this project was to identify the key evidence-based principles and quality indicators required to develop a standardized regional MHP.

METHODS

A modified Delphi consensus technique was performed in the spring and summer of 2018. Panellists used survey links to independently review and rate (on a 7-point Likert scale) 43 statements and 8 quality indicators drafted by a steering committee composed of transfusion medicine specialists and technologists, and trauma physicians. External stakeholder input from all hospitals in Ontario was sought.

RESULTS

Three rounds were held with 36 experts from diverse clinical backgrounds. Consensus was reached for 42 statements and 8 quality indicators. Additional modifications from external stakeholders were incorporated to form the foundation for the proposed MHP.

INTERPRETATION

This MHP template will provide the basis for the design of an MHP toolkit, including specific recommendations for pediatric and obstetrical patients, and for hospitals with limited availability of blood components or means to achieve definitive hemorrhage control. We believe that harmonization of MHPs in our region will simplify training, increase uptake of evidence-based interventions, enhance communication, improve patient comfort and safety, and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes.