Mortality and hospital readmissions in the first year of life after intra‐uterine and neonatal blood product transfusions: A population data linkage study. (19th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Randall, Deborah A; Bowen, Jennifer R; Patterson, Jillian A; Irving, David O; Hirani, Rena; Ford, Jane B
• Is Part Of: Journal of paediatrics and child health. Volume 55:Number 10(2019)
• Page Start: 1201
• Page End: 1208
• Publication Date: 2019-01-19
• Subjects: epidemiology -- haematology -- neonatology; Children -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/jpc.14377
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1034-4810

Abstract

Abstract : Aim: Blood product transfusions are a potentially life‐saving therapy for fetal and neonatal anaemia, but there is limited population‐based research on outcomes. We aimed to describe mortality, readmission and average hospital stay in the first year of life for infants with or without intra‐uterine or neonatal blood product transfusions. Methods: Linked birth, hospital and deaths data from New South Wales, Australia (January 2002–June 2014) were used to identify singleton infants (≥23 weeks' gestation, surviving to 29 days; n = 1 089 750) with intra‐uterine or neonatal transfusion or no transfusion. Rates of mortality and readmission in the first year (29–365 days) and days in hospital were calculated. Results: Overall, 68 (0.06/1000) infants had experienced intra‐uterine transfusion and 4332 (3.98/1000) neonatal transfusion. Transfusion was more common among those born at earlier gestational ages requiring invasive ventilation. Mortality, readmissions and average days in hospital were higher among transfused than non‐transfused infants. Over half of infants with intra‐uterine and neonatal transfusion had ≥1 readmission in the first 29–365 days (55.9 and 51.8%, respectively), and around a quarter had ≥2 (20.6 and 28.5%, respectively) compared with 15.3% with ≥1 and 3.5% with ≥2 in the non‐transfused group. Conclusion: Infants with a history of blood product transfusion, particularly those needing a neonatal transfusion, had higher mortality and more frequent contact with the hospital system in the first year of life than those infants with no history of transfusion.