Protocol for a systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of pre-hospital blood components compared to other resuscitative fluids in patients with major traumatic haemorrhage.
Systematic Reviews · 2014-10-24 · Study protocol
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in the use of blood components for pre-hospital resuscitation of patients with major traumatic haemorrhage. It has been speculated that early resuscitation with blood components may have benefits in terms of treating trauma-induced coagulopathy, which in turn may influence survival. The proposed systematic review will evaluate the evidence on the clinical effectiveness of pre-hospital blood components (red blood cells and/or plasma or whole blood), in both civilian and military settings, compared with other resuscitation strategies in patients with major traumatic haemorrhage. METHODS/DESIGN: Standard systematic review methods aimed at minimising bias will be employed for study identification, selection and data extraction. General medical and specialist databases will be searched; the search strategy will combine terms for the population, intervention and setting. Studies will be selected for review if the population includes adult patients with major traumatic haemorrhage who receive blood components in a pre-hospital setting (civilian or military). Systematic reviews, randomised and non-randomised controlled trials and controlled observational studies will be included. Uncontrolled studies will be considered depending on the volume of controlled evidence. Quality assessment will be tailored to different study designs. Both patient related and surrogate outcomes will be considered. Synthesis is likely to be primarily narrative, but meta-analyses and subgroup analyses will be undertaken where clinical and methodological homogeneity exists. DISCUSSION: Given the increasing use by emergency services of blood components for pre-hospital resuscitation, this is a timely systematic review, which will attempt to clarify the evidence base for this practice. As far as the authors are aware, the proposed systematic review will be the first to address this topic. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42014013794.
Abstract © the authors or publisher, via PubMed. Reuse and removal
Tags
Blood products · Fluids & blood · Military & tactical · Research methods & trial conduct
Related articles
- Utilizing Propensity Score Analyses in Prehospital Blood Product Transfusion Studies: Lessons Learned and Moving Toward Best Practice. (Mil Med, 2018)
- Whole-Blood vs Component Therapy in Adult Trauma: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (JAMA Surg, 2026)
- Whole blood transfusion in the treatment of acute hemorrhage, a systematic review and meta-analysis. (J Trauma Acute Care Surg, 2023)
- Outcome measures used in clinical research evaluating prehospital blood component transfusion in traumatically injured bleeding patients: A systematic review. (J Trauma Acute Care Surg, 2021)
- What is the impact of prehospital blood product administration for patients with catastrophic haemorrhage: an integrative review. (Injury, 2019)
- Brief Report: Systemic Vascular Access and Resuscitation via Corpus Cavernosum. (Mil Med, 2016)