Research Group on Blood Transfusion

Red Blood Cell (RBC) Transfusion-Associated Respiratory Complications (TARC) in critically ill children: a one-year prospective epidemiological study

TARC have never been studied in PICU. Pediatric intensivists already know that respiratory complications are frequently observed in critically ill children while they are in the PICU, but the proportion of these complications that are associated and/or caused by a RBC transfusion is completely unknown, even though some data suggest that they could be quite frequent. This study will give us an idea of the incidence and the clinical significance of all TARC

Main Objectives

To determine the proportion of TARC that can be attributable (that are probably caused…) by a RBC transfusion.
To determine the etiology of TARC.
To estimate the clinical impact of respiratory complications observed in PIUC in transfused and non-transfused patients and to compare their outcome.
To characterize the best clinical and/or laboratory marker of TARC, the clinical impact of respiratory complications observed in PIUC in transfused and non-transfused patients and to compare their outcome.

Moreover, this study may show that TARC is common in transfused critically ill children, which will mandate the realization of many other studies in order to increase our knowledge of the epidemiology of TARC, and to improve the prevention and the treatment of cases of TARC

Preliminary Findings

Under the supervision of Dr. Jacques Lacroix, Émilie Lefebvre, a medical student and Niina Kleiber, a PICU fellow, proceeded to the adjudication of respiratory distress (RD) cases in patients admitted to the PICU over one year in order to describe the incidence and proportion of respiratory complications associated with blood transfusions.

In conclusion, respiratory complications associated with blood transfusions in PICU are common. Additional studies will be required to improve the prevention and treatment of post-transfusion respiratory complications.

  • Principal Investigator of the Study: Dr Jacques Lacroix
  • Investigator at CHU Sainte-Justine: Dr Jacques Lacroix
  • Source of funding: Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé(FRQS)
  • Study Design: Étude épidémiologique rétrospective
  • Number of Participants: 136

 

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Updated on 10/8/2014
Created on 10/8/2014
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