Background and importance: Appropriate decision-making is critical for transfusions to prevent unnecessary adverse outcomes; however, transfusion in the emergency department (ED) can only be decided based on sparse evidence in a limited time window.
Objectives: This study aimed to identify factors associated with appropriate red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in the ED by analyzing retrospective data of patients who received transfusions at a single center.
Outcome measures and analysis: This study analyzed associations between transfusion appropriateness and sex, age, initial vital signs, an ED triage score [the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS)], the length of stay, and the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration.
Main results: Of 10 490 transfusions, 10 109 were deemed appropriate, and 381 were considered inappropriate. A younger age ( P < 0.001) and a KTAS level of 3-5 ( P = 0.028) were associated with inappropriate transfusions, after adjusting for O 2 saturation and the Hb level.
Conclusions: In this single-center retrospective study, younger age and higher ED triage scores were associated with the appropriateness of RBC transfusions.
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