{"title":"Transfusion Thresholds in Patients With Neurological Injury: Balancing Oxygen Delivery and Risk.","authors":"Cara Rathmell, Susana Vacas","doi":"10.1097/ANA.0000000000001039","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transfusion strategies in neurocritical care require a delicate and nuanced balance between optimizing oxygen delivery to the injured brain and minimizing transfusion-associated risks. Although restrictive transfusion protocols are widely adopted in critical care, their applicability to patients with neurological injury remains the subject of debate. Anemia may exacerbate cerebral hypoxia, potentially worsening neurological outcomes, yet transfusion carries risks such as thrombosis, immune modulation, and increased intracranial pressure. Studies comparing liberal and restrictive transfusion strategies in neurocritical care have yielded mixed results, with most settling on the noninferiority of a restrictive approach while still considering a higher threshold for particular subgroups. This focused review will examine the current evidence on transfusion strategies in neurocritically ill patients and highlight key areas for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":16550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/ANA.0000000000001039","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ANESTHESIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Transfusion strategies in neurocritical care require a delicate and nuanced balance between optimizing oxygen delivery to the injured brain and minimizing transfusion-associated risks. Although restrictive transfusion protocols are widely adopted in critical care, their applicability to patients with neurological injury remains the subject of debate. Anemia may exacerbate cerebral hypoxia, potentially worsening neurological outcomes, yet transfusion carries risks such as thrombosis, immune modulation, and increased intracranial pressure. Studies comparing liberal and restrictive transfusion strategies in neurocritical care have yielded mixed results, with most settling on the noninferiority of a restrictive approach while still considering a higher threshold for particular subgroups. This focused review will examine the current evidence on transfusion strategies in neurocritically ill patients and highlight key areas for future research.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology (JNA) is a peer-reviewed publication directed to an audience of neuroanesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, neurosurgical monitoring specialists, neurosurgical support staff, and Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit personnel. The journal publishes original peer-reviewed studies in the form of Clinical Investigations, Laboratory Investigations, Clinical Reports, Review Articles, Journal Club synopses of current literature from related journals, presentation of Points of View on controversial issues, Book Reviews, Correspondence, and Abstracts from affiliated neuroanesthesiology societies.
JNA is the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care, the Neuroanaesthesia and Critical Care Society of Great Britain and Ireland, the Association de Neuro-Anesthésiologie Réanimation de langue Française, the Wissenschaftlicher Arbeitskreis Neuroanästhesie der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizen, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutschsprachiger Neuroanästhesisten und Neuro-Intensivmediziner, the Korean Society of Neuroanesthesia, the Japanese Society of Neuroanesthesia and Critical Care, the Neuroanesthesiology Chapter of the Colegio Mexicano de Anesthesiología, the Indian Society of Neuroanesthesiology and Critical Care, and the Thai Society for Neuroanesthesia.