Red Cell Transfusion Rate and Allosensitization in Patients with End Stage Kidney Disease

As kidney function declines, an increasing number of patients will develop anemia. Although anemia of kidney disease can be treated with a hormone called erythropoietin, complete correction leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular complications such that most patients are only treated to a hemoglobin of approximately 100 g/L. This lower hemoglobin target has been associated with an increased risk of red blood cell transfusions. In addition to the well-known risks of red blood cell transfusions in the general population, patients with kidney disease are at risk of a process called allosensitization that may have an impact on kidney transplant outcomes. Little is known about the rate of transfusions in patients with kidney disease in Canada. Therefore, our aim is to determine red cell transfusion rates in patients with end stage kidney disease treated with dialysis in Ottawa, Canada and secondarily to examine the impact of red cell transfusions on allosensitization. This information will be a critical first step in exploring the use of red cell transfusions in Canadian patients with kidney failure.

ZIMMERMAN, Deborah

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Blood Efficiency Accelerator Program

Ontario

29015.7