When to Transfuse in Acute Brain Injury: Oli Flower & Simon Finfer

Simon Finfer argues that the transfusion threshold should be 70 g/L. Simon first raises the Choosing Wisely Guidelines for Critical Care.

These state that one should not transfuse red blood cells in haemodynamically stable patients with a haemoglobin concentration of greater than 70g/L.

He continues to discuss the application of this specifically to patients with an acute brain injury. In doing so he will talk about evidence generally and how one must approach the use of evidence in specific patient subgroups.

Simon continues by raising further research to justify his position.

Oli Flower on the other hand will take the position that the transfusion trigger should be 90g/L. He makes the point that this is the easy position to take. Essentially, he is just explaining why the critical care community does what it does!

As Oli explains, haemoglobin plays a pivotal role in providing oxygen to tissue. In the case of a brain injury, to prevent further injury, one must ensure continued supply of oxygen to said tissue.

Oli will lean on animal studies, human studies as well as trial data to support his position. The transfusion trigger is remarkable heterogeneous around the world and even within individual institutions and this drives critical care professionals mad.

So surely there must be a “right” number. Unfortunately, there is not, which is where understanding all the relevant aspects to the argument becomes important.

Join Oli and Simon as they debate on this important issue.

When to Transfuse in Acute Brain Injury: Oli Flower & Simon Finfer

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