Antenatal anemia increases the risk of receiving postpartum red blood cell transfusions although the overall risk of transfusion is low

Management of severe peri-operative bleeding: Guidelines from the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care: Second update 2022

BACKGROUND

Management of peri-operative bleeding is complex and involves multiple assessment tools and strategies to ensure optimal patient care with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality. These updated guidelines from the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) aim to provide an evidence-based set of recommendations for healthcare professionals to help ensure improved clinical management.

DESIGN

A systematic literature search from 2015 to 2021 of several electronic databases was performed without language restrictions. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies and to formulate recommendations. A Delphi methodology was used to prepare a clinical practice guideline.

RESULTS

These searches identified 137 999 articles. All articles were assessed, and the existing 2017 guidelines were revised to incorporate new evidence. Sixteen recommendations derived from the systematic literature search, and four clinical guidances retained from previous ESAIC guidelines were formulated. Using the Delphi process on 253 sentences of guidance, strong consensus (>90% agreement) was achieved in 97% and consensus (75 to 90% agreement) in 3%.

DISCUSSION

Peri-operative bleeding management encompasses the patient's journey from the pre-operative state through the postoperative period. Along this journey, many features of the patient's pre-operative coagulation status, underlying comorbidities, general health and the procedures that they are undergoing need to be taken into account. Due to the many important aspects in peri-operative nontrauma bleeding management, guidance as to how best approach and treat each individual patient are key. Understanding which therapeutic approaches are most valuable at each timepoint can only enhance patient care, ensuring the best outcomes by reducing blood loss and, therefore, overall morbidity and mortality.

CONCLUSION

All healthcare professionals involved in the management of patients at risk for surgical bleeding should be aware of the current therapeutic options and approaches that are available to them. These guidelines aim to provide specific guidance for bleeding management in a variety of clinical situations.

Single-unit vs multiple-unit transfusion in hemodynamically stable postpartum anemia: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The American Academy of Blood Banks recommends single-unit red cell transfusion protocols across medicine to reduce transfusion complications and the use of a scarce resource. There are minimal data regarding single-unit protocols in obstetrics.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to compare single-unit vs multiple-unit transfusion protocols for treatment of hemodynamically stable postpartum anemia.

STUDY DESIGN

We performed a randomized trial comparing initial transfusion with 1 unit of packed red blood cells (single-unit protocol) to 2 units of packed red blood cells (multiple-unit protocol) from March 2018 to July 2019. Women who required transfusion >6 hours postpartum were approached for consent. Unstable vital signs, hemoglobin level <5 g/dL, hemoglobinopathy, and cardiomyopathy were exclusion criteria for enrollment. Hemoglobin assessment and standardized clinical evaluation were performed 4 to 6 hours posttransfusion; additional packed red blood cells were given if indicated. The primary outcome was total units transfused. Secondary outcomes included length of stay, endometritis, wound separation or infection, venous thromboembolism, and intensive care unit admission within 30 days postpartum. Breastfeeding, depression, maternal attachment, and fatigue scores were assessed at 4 to 9 weeks postpartum. A total of 66 women were required to detect a 20% reduction in units transfused with a single-unit protocol (power=80%; α=0.05).

RESULTS

A total of 66 women were randomized (33 per arm). There were no differences between groups in demographic or clinical characteristics, including delivery mode, blood loss, and randomization hemoglobin levels. The mean number of units transfused was lower in the single-unit protocol than in the multiple-unit protocol (1.2 U vs 2.1 U; P<.001). Only 18.2% of women in the single-unit arm required additional packed red blood cells. At posttransfusion assessment, women in the single-unit arm had lower hemoglobin levels (7.8 g/dL vs 8.7 g/dL; P<.001), but there were no differences in vital signs or symptoms between groups. There were also no differences in length of stay, 30-day complications, or 4 to 9 week postpartum outcomes.

CONCLUSION

In women with hemodynamically stable postpartum anemia, a single-unit protocol avoided a second unit of packed red blood cells in >80% of women without significant impact on morbidity. Our work supports the use of single-unit initial transfusion in this population.

Predicting peripartum blood transfusion: focusing on pre-pregnancy characteristics

Background

Obstetric hemorrhage is one of the most common causes of obstetrical morbidity and mortality, and transfusion is the most important management for hemorrhage. The aim of our study was to investigate the pre-pregnancy and pregnancy risk factors for peripartum transfusion.

Methods

Women who delivered a baby from 2010 to 2014 in Korea and participated in the Korean National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children were included. To analyze pre-pregnant risk factors for peripartum transfusion, an additional analysis was done for women who underwent a National Health Screening Examination within 1 year before pregnancy, including maternal waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, laboratory tests and history of smoking. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the risk factors for peripartum transfusion.

Results

Of the total 1,980,126 women who met the inclusion criteria, 36,868 (1.86%) were transfused at peripartum. In a multivariable regression model, the pregnancy risk factors for peripartum transfusion included maternal age above 35 years [odds ratio (OR): 1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32–1.50], preterm birth (OR: 2.39; 95% CI: 2.15–2.65), and maternal hypertension (OR: 2.49; 95% CI: 2.24–2.77). Pre-pregnancy risk factors including fasting glucose level of more than 126 mg/dL (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.02–1.20), current-smoker status (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.06–1.37), and waist-circumference less than 80 cm (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.06–1.30) were independently associated with peripartum blood transfusion.

Conclusions

Several pre-pregnancy and pregnancy risk factors were associated with peripartum blood transfusion. Some identified factors are modifiable before conception, and our study validated peripartum blood transfusion as a form of triage.