Use of Cold-Stored Whole Blood is Associated with Improved Mortality in Hemostatic Resuscitation of Major Bleeding: A Multicenter Study.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-18-2022

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify a mortality benefit with the use of whole blood as part of the resuscitation of bleeding trauma patients.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Blood component therapy (BCT) is the current standard for resuscitating trauma patients, with whole blood (WB) emerging as the blood product of choice. We hypothesized that the use of WB versus BCT alone would result in decreased mortality.

METHODS: We performed a 14-center, prospective-observational study of trauma patients who received WB versus BCT during their resuscitation. We applied a generalized linear mixed-effects model with a random effect and controlled for age, sex, mechanism of injury (MOI), and injury severity score (ISS). All patients who received blood as part of their initial resuscitation were included. Primary outcome was mortality and secondary outcomes included AKI, DVT/PE, pulmonary complications, and bleeding complications.

RESULTS: A total of 1,623 (WB: 1,180(74%), BCT: 443(27%)) patients who sustained penetrating (53%) or blunt (47%) injury were included. Patients who received WB had a higher shock index (0.98 vs. 0.83), more comorbidities, and more blunt MOI (all P<0.05). After controlling for center, age, sex, MOI, and ISS, we found no differences in the rates of AKI, DVT/PE or pulmonary complications. WB patients were 9% less likely to experience bleeding complications and were 48% less likely to die than BCT patients (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with BCT, the use of WB was associated with a 48% reduction in mortality in trauma patients. Our study supports the use of WB use in the resuscitation of trauma patients.

Comments

This article was published in Annals of Surgery.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1097/sla.0000000000005603.

Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

Publication Title

Annals of Surgery

PubMed ID

35848743

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