Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38594746›Full record

Observational studyCritical care (London, England)2024

Anti-inflammatory therapies are associated with delayed onset of anemia and reduction in transfusion requirements in critically ill patients: results from two studies.

Madelief Bolscher, Stephanie C E Koster, Matty Koopmans, Jelle L G Haitsma Mulier, Lennie P G Derde, Nicole P Juffermans

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Critical care (London, England), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 38% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Comparative analysis of outcomes between anemic and non-anemic critically ill elderly patients in a geriatric ICU in Egypt: A focused study.Journal of critical care medicine (Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie din Targu-Mures) · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Madelief BolscherDepartment of Intensive Care, OLVG Hospital, Oosterpark 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Stephanie C E KosterDepartment of Intensive Care, Zaans Medisch Centrum, Zaandam, The Netherlands.
Matty KoopmansDepartment of Intensive Care, OLVG Hospital, Oosterpark 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Jelle L G Haitsma MulierDepartment of Intensive Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Lennie P G DerdeDepartment of Intensive Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Nicole P JuffermansDepartment of Intensive Care, Erasmus Medical Center, Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. n.juffermans@erasmusmc.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-3039-6574
University Medical Center Utrecht · NLErasmus MC · NLZaans Medisch Centrum · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnemia is a hallmark of critical illness, which is largely inflammatory driven. We hypothesized that the use of anti-inflammatory agents limits the development of anemia and reduces the need for red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in patients with a hyper-inflammatory condition due to COVID-19.

methodsAn observational cohort (n = 772) and a validation cohort (a subset of REMAP-CAP, n = 119) of critically ill patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 were analyzed, who either received no treatment, received steroids or received steroids plus IL-6 blocking agents. The trajectory of hemoglobin (Hb) decline and the need for RBC transfusions were compared using descriptive statistics as well as multivariate modeling.

resultsIn both cohorts, Hb level was higher in the treated groups compared to the untreated group at all time points. In the observational cohort, incidence and number of transfused patients were lower in the group receiving the combination treatment compared to the untreated groups. In a multivariate analysis controlling for baseline Hb imbalance and mechanical ventilation, receipt of steroids remained associated with a slower decline in Hb level and the combination treatment remained associated with a slower decline of Hb and with less transfusions. Results remained the same in the validation cohort.

conclusionImmunomodulatory treatment was associated with a slower decline in Hb level in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and with less transfusion. Findings point toward inflammation as an important cause for the occurrence of anemia in the critically ill.

Indexed as

AnemiaCOVID-19Anti-Inflammatory AgentsCritical IllnessHemoglobinsHumansSteroidsAnti-Inflammatory AgentsHemoglobinsSteroidsAnemiaAnti-inflammatory treatmentCOVID-19SteroidsTransfusion

Identifiers

PMID38594746
PMCPMC11003051
OpenAlexW4394618503

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.