Blood components in neonatal medicine.
During a six-month period, 552 infants were admitted to a level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and four level II units. Of the 953 cross matches of blood components requested from the blood bank, 83% were administered. Forty-four percent of the infants received multiple blood transfusions from multiple blood donors (mean 3.9 donors, range two to 11). Thirty-one percent received multiple transfusions from only one donor. The mean total volume of blood given was 22.5 ml (range 3 to 120 ml), exclusive of blood used for exchange transfusions. Seventy percent of the blood components were given to infants weighing less than 2,500 gm, and 44% were given to infants weighing less than 1,500 gm. Hospitals having only level II units must have the same blood banking facilities as hospitals with level III units, since 21% of the infants given transfusion received the blood component while receiving level II care.
D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005078:Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood; D006801:Humans; D006932:Hyperbilirubinemia / Q000628:therapy; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000628:therapy; D012769:Shock / Q000628:therapy