Study Finds Blood Transfusion May Increase Risk of Mortality Among Traumatic

Study Finds Blood Transfusion May Increase Risk of Mortality Among Traumatic Brain Injured Patients

Recent research coming out of the National Anemia Action Council (NAAC) has found that the common practice of administering blood transfusion to traumatic brain injury patients may actually be increasing the risk of mortality as well as "composite complication including multi-organ failure."


The results of a seven-year study found that 46 percent of the 1,150 traumatic brain injury patients in the study were anemic at some point during their first week of admission to a hospital following their injury. The anemic group was said to have increased complications compared to non-anemic patients and of the "anemic group, 76 percent received blood transfusions during their first week and the transfusion in this group was associated with more complications and a higher mortality rate than patients who were not transfused."

According to the study’s results, the scientists recommended that "both anemia and transfusion should be assessed together in TBI patients since in some subgroups the risk of anemia may overshadow that of transfusion," according to an article published in a Jan. 7 issue of PubMed.

Blood Transfusion Uncovered

Blood transfusion is considered a safe and life saving procedure in which "blood is given to you through an intravenous (IV) line in one of your blood vessels and blood transfusions are conducted to replace blood lost during surgery or a serious injury," according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

Although there are no man-made alternatives to blood, there are several alternatives to blood transfusions such as medications including the following, according to the American Cancer Society:

* erythropoietin

* collect and reuse of blood, also known as intra-operative or post-operative

* blood substitutes

* growth factors, including the production of substances known as hematopoietic or blood forming growth factors, which produce extra blood naturally within the body

* volume expanders


Overcoming TBI

Individuals who suffer from a traumatic brain injury incident may be able to garner a free legal consultation from an experienced personal injury attorney that can provide details surrounding a TBI lawsuit.


Due to the often expensive and experimental treatments associated with a traumatic brain injury diagnosis it may be a necessary step to develop a traumatic brain injury lawsuit and speaking to a law firm specializing in this practice could provide such an opportunity as well as details to construct litigation.

Learn more about developing a traumatic brain injury lawsuit by visiting the LegalView information portal at http://brain-injury.legalview.info and obtaining professional advice from an experienced TBI lawyer.

Peter Kent is the best-selling author of 50 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and newspapers. He manages Legalview.info, a website hosting a variety of information on legal issues, including TBI.