Table 2

ICU course and outcome parameters after day 21

Parameter

All patients (n = 155)

Never transfused (n = 59)

Ever transfused^a (n = 71)

P value

Illness acuity

Mechanical ventilation

154 (99%)

58 (98%)

71 (100%)

0.45^b

Inotropes/vasopressors

59 (38%)

9 (15%)

31 (44%)

0.0005

ARF requiring dialysis

24 (15%)

3 (5%)

13 (18%)

0.02

SOFA score^c

4.8 ± 3.2

3.6 ± 2.1

5.1 ± 3.6

0.006

Anemia

Day 22–112 Hb (g/dl)

9.1 ± 0.9

9.6 ± 1.0

8.8 ± 0.6

0.001

Phlebotomy volume (ml/pt/day)

13.3 ± 7.3

8.7 ± 4.4

14.6 ± 6.5

<0.0001

Median PRBC units transfused

1 (0–4)

-

2 (1–4)

Outcomes

Median ICU LOS (days)

49 (36–70)

39 (31–58)

51 (41–72)

0.001^d

Median hospital LOS^e (days)

84 (55–132)

76 (55–123)

93 (56–162)

0.18^d

ICU mortality (%)

Days 22–112

35 (23%)

5 (8%)

16 (23%)

0.03

Total

47 (30%)

8 (14%)

23 (32%)

0.01

Values are expressed as n (%), mean ± standard deviation, or median (interquartile range). ^aExcludes 25 patients with active bleeding. ^bFisher's exact test for small samples of categorical variables. ^cAverage score from day 21 onward; these were unavailable for 24 nonbleeding patients (12 in each group). ^dWilcoxon's test for non-normally distributed variables. ^eHospital LOS unavailable for 2 nonbleeding patients (one in each group). ARF, acute renal failure; Hb, hemoglobin; ICU, intensive care unit; LOS, length of stay; PRBC, packed red blood cells; pt, patient; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.

Chant et al. Critical Care 2006 10:R140   doi:10.1186/cc5054