Table 2

Clinical outcome studies reviewing the effects of red cell storage age, in order of publication

Author

Study Population

No. Patients

Major Conclusion

Purdy et al.[18]

Septic ICU patients

31

Patients who died received older RBC

Vamvakas et al.[31]

CABG patients

416

Transfusion of RBC with longer storage time associated with pneumonia

Zallen et al.[19]

Trauma patients who received 6-20 RBC in the first 12 hours post-injury

63

Patients who developed MOF received older blood (30 vs. 24 days)

Vamvakas et al.[32]

CABG patients

268

Transfusion of old RBC was not associated with increased morbidity or mortality

Offner et al.[20]

Trauma patients who received 6-20 RBC in the first 12 hours post-injury

62

Transfusion of old blood was associated with increase risk of infection

Keller et al.[21]

Trauma patients who received ≥1 RBC within 48 hours of admission

86

Older RBC were associated with longer hospital length of stay

Murrell et al.[33]

Trauma patients who received ≥1 RBC

275

Patients who received older RBC had longer length of ICU stay but no increased in-hospital mortality

Koch et al.[24]

CABG patients who received exclusively young or old blood

6,002

Patients receiving old RBC had higher mortality (short and long term)

Weinberg et al.[22]

Trauma patients who received ≥1 RBC within the first 24 hours post-injury

1,813

Blood storage age potentiated the increased odd of mortality seen with larger volumes of transfusion

Weinberg et al. [23]

Less severely injured trauma patients who received no RBC in the first 48 hours post-injury

1,624

Transfusion of old blood was associated with increased mortality, renal failure, and pneumonia

RBC = red blood cell unit

Vandromme et al. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine 2009 17:35   doi:10.1186/1757-7241-17-35