Trial reportTransfusion2016
Red blood cell transfusion triggers in acute leukemia: a randomized pilot study.
Trial report in Transfusion, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to trial NCT02086773 (Prospective Randomized Clinical Feasibility Study of Red Cell Transfusion Goals in Patients With Acute Leukemias), which is not on this map. Cited by 38 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Prospective Randomized Clinical Feasibility Study of Red Cell Transfusion Goals in Patients With Acute Leukemias
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 73 citations in OpenAlex.
- Transfusion thresholds and other strategies for guiding red blood cell transfusion.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Association of Anaesthetists guidelines: the use of blood components and their alternatives.Anaesthesia · 2025Guideline
- Restrictive versus liberal red blood cell transfusion strategies for people with haematological malignancies treated with intensive chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or both, with or without haematopoietic stem cell support.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Transfusion thresholds for guiding red blood cell transfusion.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Transfusion strategies in non-bleeding critically ill adults: a clinical practice guideline from the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine.Intensive care medicine · 2020Guideline
- Restrictive versus liberal red blood cell transfusion strategies for people with haematological malignancies treated with intensive chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or both, with or without haematopoietic stem cell support.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Transfusion thresholds and other strategies for guiding allogeneic red blood cell transfusion.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- How low can we go? Comparison of liberal and restrictive red cell transfusion thresholds in paediatric allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A randomized multicentre feasibility trial.British journal of haematology · 2025Trial
- A pilot randomized study for optimal red cell transfusion in acute myeloid leukemia patients with intensive chemotherapy.Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue · 2023Trial
- Trial
- Red blood cell transfusion thresholds in acute leukemia: Current practice and physician perspectives from a national survey.Transfusion · 2026Article
- Postoperative complications in patients with chemotherapy-induced acute myeloid leukemia (Review).Oncology letters · 2026Review
- Evaluating Hemoglobin Thresholds for Blood Transfusions in Oncology Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.Journal of hematology · 2026Article
- Multinational transfusion practices and outcomes in haematology patients admitted to the intensive care unit.Vox sanguinis · 2026Observational
- Current perspectives and updates on transfusion strategies in critically ill anemic patients.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Patient characteristics and clinical determinants of outpatient red cell transfusions.Transfusion · 2025Article
- Ferritin in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Not Only a Marker of Inflammation and Iron Overload, but Also a Regulator of Cellular Iron Metabolism, Signaling and Communication.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Molecular and Serological Detection of Human Parvovirus B19 in a Sample of Iraqi Patients with Acute Lymphoid Leukemia in Relation to Hematological Parameters.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2025Article
- Management of Philadelphia chromosome-positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a Jehovah's Witness using chemotherapy free regimen: A case report and review of literature.Leukemia research reports · 2025Article
- A commentary on the optimal red blood cell transfusion threshold in acute leukemia patients.Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issuedErratum.2016
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRed blood cell (RBC) transfusion thresholds have yet to be examined in large randomized trials in hematologic malignancies. This pilot study in acute leukemia uses a restrictive compared to a liberal transfusion strategy. STUDY DESIGN AND
methodsA randomized (2:1) study was conducted of restrictive (LOW) hemoglobin (Hb) trigger (7 g/dL) compared to higher (HIGH) Hb trigger (8 g/dL). The primary outcome was feasibility of conducting a larger trial. The four requirements for success required that more than 50% of the eligible patients could be consented, more than 75% of the patients randomized to the LOW arm tolerated the transfusion trigger, fewer than 15% of patients crossed over from the LOW arm to the HIGH arm, and no indication for the need to pause the study for safety concerns. Secondary outcomes included fatigue, bleeding, and RBCs and platelets transfused.
resultsNinety patients were consented and randomly assigned to LOW to HIGH. The four criteria for the primary objective of feasibility were met. When the number of units transfused was compared, adjusting for baseline Hb, the LOW arm was transfused on average 8.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.9-9.1) units/patient while the HIGH arm received 11.7 (95% CI, 10.1-13.2) units (p = 0.0003). There was no significant difference in bleeding events or neutropenic fevers between study arms.
conclusionThis study establishes feasibility for trial of Hb thresholds in leukemia through demonstration of success in all primary outcome metrics and a favorable safety profile. This population requires further study to evaluate the equivalence of liberal and restrictive transfusion thresholds in this unique clinical setting.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.