Abstract
Introduction: An optimal transfusion strategy for patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) has yet tbe established. The national guidelines contain recommendations for patients with life-threating bleeding in general, but no specific recommendations for patients with UGIB. We hypothesised that there are variations in transfusion strategies for patients with UGIB across the Danish regions. Methods: We performed a retrospective, register-based, analysis on transfusions given to all patients with nonvariceal UGIB in Denmark in 2011-2013. We compared the results from the five regions in Denmark in order to discover regional differences. Results: A total of 5,292 admissions with treatment for non-variceal UGIB were identified, and analysis was made for the total group and a massive transfusions group (330 admissions). In the Capital Region, transfusion of platelets was more likely than in any other region for all patients (p < 0.01) including the massive transfusion group (p = 0.03). In the North Region, transfusion of fresh frozen plasma was more likely for the massive transfusion group (p = 0.01). Conclusion: The observed differences warrant further prospective cohort studies in order to provide a foundation for transfusion recommendations for patients with UGIB. Funding: none. Trial registration: not relevant.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | A5296 |
| Journal | Danish Medical Journal |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| ISSN | 1603-9629 |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2016 |
Keywords
- Blood Transfusion
- Clinical Protocols
- Denmark
- Duodenal Diseases
- Erythrocyte Transfusion
- Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage
- Humans
- Plasma
- Platelet Transfusion
- Practice Guidelines as Topic
- Registries
- Retrospective Studies
- Stomach Diseases
- Journal Article