Practice Review: Red cell transfusion in urgent and emergency care.
Acute medicine · 2025-01-01 · Other / unclear
Abstract
Transfusion of red blood cells is routine in acute care settings and adverse events are not uncommon. While bleeding protocols are familiar to acute physicians, guidance is less clear for non-bleeding patients. This review offers consolidated guidance on transfusion in the adult acute patient, including restrictive targets and the use of alternatives in anaemia, the role of group O emergency red blood cells (RBC) and important considerations in individuals with childbearing potential, immunosuppressed patients and transfusion-dependent patients.