Transfusion of ABO‐group identical red blood cells following uncrossmatched transfusion does not lead to higher mortality in civilian trauma patients

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundQuestions persist about the safety of switching non‐group O recipients of group O uncrossmatched red blood cells (RBC) or low titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) to ABO‐identical RBCs during their resuscitation.MethodsThe database of an earlier nine‐center study of transfusing incompatible plasma to trauma patients was reanalyzed. The patients were divided into three groups based on 24‐h RBC transfusion: (1) group O patients who received group O RBC/LTOWB units (control group, n = 1203), (2) non‐group O recipients who received only group O units (n = 646), (3) non‐group O recipients who received at least one unit of group O and non‐group O units (n = 562). Fixed marginal effect of receipt of non‐O RBC units on 6‐ and 24‐h and 30‐day mortality was calculated.ResultsThe non‐O patients who received only group O RBCs received fewer RBC/LTOWB units and had slightly but significantly lower injury severity score compared to control group; non‐group O patients who received both group O and non‐O units received significantly more RBC/LTOWB units and had a slightly but significantly higher injury severity score compared to control group. In the multivariate analysis, the non‐O patients who received only group O RBCs had significantly higher mortality at 6‐h compared to the controls; the non‐group O recipients of O and non‐O RBCs did not demonstrate higher mortality. At 24‐h and 30‐days, there were no differences in survival between the groups.ConclusionProviding non‐group O RBCs to non‐group O trauma patients who also received group O RBC units is not associated with higher mortality.