title: Effect of blood transfusions on cerebral haemodynamics in preterm infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the possible cerebral haemodynamic changes occurring in preterm infants after blood transfusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preterm infants who had undergone blood transfusions were prospectively studied using both near infrared spectroscopy and cerebral Doppler ultrasonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen infants (mean gestational age 29.6 wk, SD 2.6; mean birthweight 1,430g, SD 332) were studied at the mean age of 29 (SD 14) d. A significant increase in oxygenated haemoglobin (O2Hb), deoxygenated haemoglobin (HHb), mixed cerebral oxygen saturation (SmO2) and change in cerebral blood volume occurred after transfusion. Between ultrasound parameters, we found a decrease in diastolic velocity and an increase in resistance index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood transfusions improve cerebral oxygen supply and induce a decrease in cerebral blood volume, probably due to an increase in cerebral vessel resistance.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Italy. cdani@unifi.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pezzati
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prussi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertini
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Rubaltelli
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000379:methods*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler