Smaller tubes take bite out of blood draws in critically ill
AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CENTRAL SURGICAL ASSOCIATION
Using a small-volume tube cut the number of patients with more than one episode of severe anemia from 22 to 11 (P = .01) and those with more than two episodes from 6 to 4 (P = .53).
“Anemia in the critically ill is a significant problem,” Dr. Dolman said. “Phlebotomy waste contributes to anemia and should be recorded to decrease this hidden loss.”
The impact of transfusion vs. no transfusion was less pronounced with respect to ICU stay (12 days vs. 6 days; P < .001), hospital stay (19 days vs. 11 days; P = .44), and in-hospital mortality (17% vs. 15%; P = .60), but can lead to other negative sequelae such as increased risk of infection, circulatory overload transfusion reactions, and immune modulation, she added.
Detroit Receiving Hospital continues to use conventional tubes in its ICU and other units, although a switch to small-volume tubes is expected to be considered following peer review of the full results, Dr. Dolman said.
Dr. Dolman reported having no financial disclosures.
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