Characterization of transfused neonates in a hospital institution in Medellin, Colombia. Cases series

OBJECTIVE: To characterize clinical and epidemiological aspects of transfused neonates in Intensive and Special Care Units of a high-complexity Institution in Medellín, Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective descriptive study that included hospitalized neonates in intensive or special care units between 2017 and 2018 who received transfusions during their hospital stay. For data collection information from medical records was used. The data analysis was done in the SPSS software, average and standard deviation were calculated for quantitative variables, and for qualitative variables, proportions were estimated. This study had ethical approval. RESULTS: 175 patients were included, with an average gestational age at birth of 31 weeks and an average weight of 1610 grams. 52.9% of the population was female. The main diagnoses were prematurity 127 (72.6%), respiratory distress syndrome 93 (53.1%), sepsis 75 (42.8%), and unspecified anemia 53 (30.3%). 94.4% of the neonates were hospitalized in the intensive care unit, with a median hospital stay of 35 days. Discharge was the main outcome with 83.7%, followed by death with 11.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Red blood cell transfusion in the neonatal population was frequently used in those admitted to intensive and special care units, this intervention showed favorable results but the lack of data in the medical records as a retrospective study limits the establishment of further associations.