title: [Blood transfusions in hemorrhage of the upper digestive tract].
abstract: On the basis of data published, at least three quarters of patients with acute haemorrhage of the upper digestive tract (AHUDT) undergo blood transfusions. An epidemiologic survey carried out over a period of more than two years, showed that only 322 subjects out of 587 (54.8%) with AHUDT received blood transfusions, the mean need being 3.6 +/- 6.1 units of packed erythrocytes. Our series included a relevant percentage (29%) of hepatocirrhotics, whose transfusion need was, as expected, markedly higher in comparison with the others (71% transfused versus 47.9%, and a mean of 5.3 units versus 2.9). Persistent bleeding, rebleeding rate, operation and mortality rate in our study were, respectively, 4.1%, 28.4%, 10.2% and 15.5%. Mortality among subjects non transfused was 3.4%. The adoption of restrictive criteria made it possible to avoid unnecessary blood transfusions. Patients who were hemodynamically stable with haemoglobin greater than 8 g/dl were not transfused. Our experience has shown that about fifty per cent of patients with AHUDT can be preserved from the risks connected with blood transfusions.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loperfido
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nieri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010438:Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
vernacular_title: L'emotrasfusione nell'emorragia del tratto digestivo superiore.