This post hoc multicentre cohort study in Austria, in which Dr. Axel Hofmann and Prof. Gombotz both closely related to JW in Austria (Gombotz performed thousands of surgergies on JW in Austria, Europe, Hofmann economical consultant for Patient blood management from the beginnings) are now going deeper into the matter and studying "RED BLOOD CELL TRANSFUSION of men and women"....
....although red blood cells are not allowed for Jehovahs witnesses. Interesting to observe how JW-doctors are doing this important work for the mankind, the improvement of the outcome of Red blood cell transfusion.
Participants We consecutively enrolled in total 6530 patients (3465 women and 3065 men); 1491 underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, 2570 primary unilateral total hip replacement (THR) and 2469 primary unilateral total knee replacement (TKR).
Main outcome measures Primary outcome measures were the number of allogeneic and autologous red blood cell (RBC) units transfused (postoperative day 5 included) and differences in intraoperative and postoperative transfusion rate between men and women. Secondary outcomes included perioperative blood loss in transfused and non-transfused patients, volume of RBCs transfused, perioperative haemoglobin values and circulating red blood volume on postoperative day 5.
Participants We consecutively enrolled in total 6530 patients (3465 women and 3065 men); 1491 underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, 2570 primary unilateral total hip replacement (THR) and 2469 primary unilateral total knee replacement (TKR).
Conclusions The higher transfusion rate and volume in women when compared with men in elective surgery can be explained by clinicians applying the same absolute transfusion thresholds irrespective of a patient's gender. This, together with the common use of a liberal transfusion strategy, leads to further overtransfusion in women.
The study was released in bmj open 2016, this is an open access article also downloadable as PDF!!
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/12/e012210.full