Randomized Trial of a Liberal Versus a Restrictive Transfusion Strategy in Elderly Cardiac Surgery Patients

Lawson Health Research Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Anemia; Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Treatments: Procedure: Blood Transfusion

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00318227

9540

R-03-043

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a less restrictive strategy of red blood cell transfusion in elderly patients following coronary bypass surgery results in enhanced postoperative recovery as determined by quality of life assessment, exercise tolerance and clinical outcomes.

Two postoperative transfusion strategies:

1. Liberal - transfused when Hgb is <100g/L
2. Restrictive - transfused when Hgb is <70g/L

Enrollment: 73 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 70 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients >=70 years of age undergoing non-emergency coronary artery bypass surgery
• Initial postoperative hemoglobin level 70-90g/L

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who are unable to provide informed consent in English
• Patients with preoperative hemoglobin concentrations <100g/L
• Patients who require emergency re-operation
• Patients with intraoperative or postoperative bleeding diathesis
• Patients with postoperative clinical instability (eg. low output state)
• Patients in whom insertion of an intra-aortic balloon pump is required

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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73 participants in 2 patient groups

Liberal Red cell transfusion arm

Active Comparator group

Description:

Transfusion if Hgb \<100g/L

Treatment:

Procedure: Blood Transfusion

Restrictive Red Cell transfusion

Active Comparator group

Description:

Transfusion if Hgb \<70g/L

Treatment:

Procedure: Blood Transfusion