Transfusions in Critically Ill Patients

Abstract
The art of fluid administration and hemodynamic support is one of the most challenging aspects of treating critically ill patients. Considering that every year in the United States over 11 million units of red cells are transfused in more than 3 million patients,1 there is a surprising paucity of data to guide decisions about transfusions. The American College of Physicians has a prudent transfusion algorithm,2 but it is based mainly on a consensus of experts, not on data from controlled clinical trials. The use of transfusions in critically ill patients varies widely, with hemoglobin thresholds ranging from 7 to 12 . . .