Mortality and morbidity of low-grade red blood cell transfusions in septic patients : a propensity score-matched observational study of a liberal transfusion strategy
Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are associated with risks including immunological reactions and volume overload. Current guidelines suggest a restrictive transfusion strategy in most patients with sepsis but based on previous randomized controlled trials and observational studies, there are still uncertainties about the safety in giving low-grade RBC transfusions to patients with sep