PRBC Transfusion -- a Risk Factor for NEC in Premature Infants
PRBC Transfusion -- a Risk Factor for NEC in Premature Infants
Antecedent PRBC transfusion within 48 h of the onset of NEC appears to be an independent risk factor for the development of NEC in premature infants. This relationship cannot be concluded to be the cause and effect. However, these results do provide a basis for several paths of future research. A prospective observational study might better confront the difficulty of deciding if a transfusion is being given for symptoms that reflect early NEC, or for some other cause define markers of illness severity, document the details of feeding and allow for the exploration of biological hypotheses including the roles of age of blood, inflammatory mediators and the role of molecules such as 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate. Future research might also explore the risk/benefit ratio of PRBC transfusion and offer guidelines for transfusing anemic premature infants, who are otherwise stable.
Conclusion
Antecedent PRBC transfusion within 48 h of the onset of NEC appears to be an independent risk factor for the development of NEC in premature infants. This relationship cannot be concluded to be the cause and effect. However, these results do provide a basis for several paths of future research. A prospective observational study might better confront the difficulty of deciding if a transfusion is being given for symptoms that reflect early NEC, or for some other cause define markers of illness severity, document the details of feeding and allow for the exploration of biological hypotheses including the roles of age of blood, inflammatory mediators and the role of molecules such as 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate. Future research might also explore the risk/benefit ratio of PRBC transfusion and offer guidelines for transfusing anemic premature infants, who are otherwise stable.
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