Hemotherapy in the seriously ill patients

Abstract

Introduction:

To improve hemodynamic stability, coagulation disorders, tissue perfusion, oxygen transport capacity, among others, the transfusion of blood and plasma derivatives is necessary in the critically-ill patient.

Objective:

To characterize the population of seriously-ill patients who received treatment with blood and hemoderivatives.

Methods:

A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with 199 patients admitted to the intensive care unit of Orlando Pantoja Tamayo General Hospital in Contramaestre Municipality, Santiago de Cuba Province, from January 2016 to April 2019. The variables analyzed were age, sex, causes for hemotherapy, type of blood component used, frequency of administration, adverse reactions, and discharge status. Percentage was used to summarize the information. Also, the chi-square test was used to identify statistical association.

Results:

There was a predominance of the female sex (56.7%) and of the age 65 years and older, with diagnosis of polytrauma, high digestive bleeding, and sepsis. The red blood cell concentrate was the most used and the frequency of administration, on one occasion, occurred in the category with the highest amount of adverse reactions (56.6%). Administration on four or more occasions increased mortality.

Conclusions:

The red blood cell concentrate was the most administered hemoderivative. Administration on one occasion that caused the most adverse reactions and most were immediate immunological ones.

Keywords: blood transfusion; hemocomponent; polytrauma patients; sepsis