BMJ  2004;328 (29 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7451.0

Filtered blood shortens hospital stay

Transfusing leucocyte depleted blood may reduce hospital stay and risk of multiorgan failure in patients undergoing major surgery. Van Hilten and colleagues (p 1281) randomised 1051 patients to filtered blood or to standard care after abdominal surgery. Infection rates and duration of stay in intensive care did not differ, and the only patients in the intervention group with better survival were those who had gastrointestinal surgery. However, time spent in hospital was 2.4 days shorter and multiorgan failure was 30% less likely in the intervention group.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Effects of transfusion with red cells filtered to remove leucocytes: randomised controlled trial in patients undergoing major surgery

Joost A van Hilten, Leo M G van de Watering, J Hajo van Bockel, Cornelis J H van de Velde, Job Kievit, Ronald Brand, Wilbert B van den Hout, Robert H Geelkerken, Rudi M H Roumen, Ronald M J Wesselink, Ankie W M M Koopman-van Gemert, Jan Koning, and Anneke Brand
BMJ 2004 328: 1281. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]