Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How blood storage time affects dog survival after transfusion
By Hann, L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2014·Department of Clinical Studies-Philadelphia, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of duration of packed red blood cell storage on morbidity and mortality in dogs after transfusion: 3,095 cases (2001-2010).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at over 3,000 dogs that received blood transfusions to see if the length of time the blood was stored affected their recovery. While most dogs did not show a higher risk of death based on how long the blood was stored, those with a specific condition called immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (where the body destroys its own red blood cells) had a lower chance of surviving if the blood had been stored for longer than 14 days. This suggests that for dogs with this condition, fresher blood might be better.
People also search for: dog blood transfusion risks · immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in dogs · how long can dog blood be stored
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests that transfusion of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) stored for >14 days is associated with increased rates of sepsis, multiple organ dysfunction, and mortality in human patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine if duration of PRBC storage has an effect on morbidity and mortality in dogs after transfusion. ANIMALS: Dogs admitted to the Matthew J Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. METHODS: A retrospective case review of dogs identified through blood bank logbooks that received PRBC transfusions (minimum, 5 mL/kg) between 2001 and 2010. Dogs were categorized according to major cause of anemia (eg, hemorrhage, hemolysis, ineffective erythropoiesis) for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 3,095 dogs received 5,412 PRBC units. Longer duration of PRBC storage was associated with development of new or progressive coagulation failure (P = .001) and thromboembolic disease (P = .005). There was no association between duration of PRBC storage and survival for all dogs overall. However, a logistic regression model indicated that for dogs with hemolysis, 90% of which had immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, longer duration of PRBC storage was a negative risk factor for survival. For every 7 day increase in storage, there was a 0.79 lesser odds of 30 day survival (95% CI, 0.64-0.97; P = .024). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Duration of PRBC storage does not appear to be a major contributing factor to mortality in the overall canine population. However, longer duration of PRBC storage may negatively impact outcome in dogs with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, thus warranting further investigation with prospective studies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25311875/