Effect of different transfusion strategies on premature infants

ObjectiveTo explore the influences of restrictive and non-restrictive blood transfusion strategies on blood transfusion and clinical indicators of premature infants, and provide a clinical basis for the transfusion strategy of premature infants.

MethodsAccording to the premature infants blood transfusion guidelines of United States in 2008, the clinical data of 171 premature infants with gestational age < 37 weeks were retrospectively analyzed, and divided into the restrictive blood transfusion (group A, 78 cases) and non-restrictive blood transfusion group (group B, 93 cases).According to the gestational age, the premature infants were further divided into the gestational age < 34 weeks group and ≥ 34 weeks group.The differences of the total transfusion, frequency of transfusion, age of first transfusion, body quality recovery, feeding condition, deoxygenation time, time of discharge standard, and incidence rate of brain injury (leuomalacia cerebri/intracranial hemorrhage) between two groups were compared.

ResultsAmong the premature infants with gestational age < 34 weeks, the number of blood transfusion in group A was less than that in group B (P < 0.01), the age of first blood transfusion, deoxygenation time, time to recover birth body quality and incidence rate of brain injury in group A were higher than those in group B (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).Among the premature infants with gestational age ≥ 34 weeks, the age of first blood transfusion and time of adequate milk volume (150 mL/kg) in group A were higher than those in group B (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05).The time of preterm infants with full oral feeding and hospitalization in group A were longer than those in group B (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01), and the difference of the total amount of blood transfusion was not statistically significant between two groups (P>0.05).

ConclusionsCompared with the restrictive transfusion strategy, the non-restrictive transfusion strategy does not increase of the quantity of blood transfusion, can be more conducive to the clinical recovery of premature infants, shorten the hospitalization time, promote feeding and weight gain, shorten the time of oxygen uptake, and reduce the occurrence of premature infant brain injury.