Observational studyJournal of Korean medical science2026
Red Blood Cell Transfusion Beyond Restrictive Thresholds in Patients With Septic Shock and an Elevated Lactate Level: A Multicenter Observational Study.
Observational study in Journal of Korean medical science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFew studies have examined real-world transfusion practices in patients with septic shock. It is unclear whether red blood cell (RBC) transfusion benefits patients with an elevated lactate level. This study investigated transfusion practices and explored lactate as a physiological marker for guiding transfusion decisions.
methodsThis observational study used data from a prospective, multicenter registry of patients with septic shock, provided by the Korean Shock Society, from November 2015 to December 2022. The initial hemoglobin (Hb) value and RBC transfusion status within six hours of emergency department visits were recorded. The in-hospital mortality rate was assessed based on the Hb level. The association between RBC transfusion and in-hospital mortality was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression, stratified by Hb groups and lactate level subgroups.
resultsAmong the 8,711 patients included, 884 (10.1%) received an RBC transfusion. Of these, 510 patients (57.7%) received a transfusion at an Hb level ≥ 7 g/dL. In the Hb 7.0-8.9 g/dL and Hb ≥ 9.0 g/dL groups, the transfusion group had a higher heart rate and a greater percentage of patients meeting the Sepsis-3 criteria for shock compared to the non-transfusion group. The initial lactate level was significantly higher in the transfusion group compared to the non-transfusion group in the Hb ≥ 9.0 g/dL group (median 5.3 mmol/L vs. 3.5 mmol/L). No significant association was found between RBC transfusion and in-hospital mortality in the Hb < 7.0 g/dL group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-1.37) and the Hb 7.0-8.9 g/dL group (aOR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.59-1.06). However, in the Hb ≥ 9.0 g/dL group, RBC transfusion was associated with an increased in-hospital mortality rate (aOR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.34-2.93). The benefits of transfusion were not confirmed by the analysis based on the lactate level.
conclusionRBC transfusions were frequently administered beyond restrictive thresholds in patients with septic shock, particularly in those with an elevated lactate level. However, RBC transfusion in patients with an elevated lactate level was not associated with decreased in-hospital mortality.
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.