title: Risk factors for blood transfusion in singleton pregnancy deliveries in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate risk factors for blood transfusion in pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a population-based study, data from all women with singleton pregnancies (n=225 304) admitted for delivery in Taiwanese hospitals in 2002 were obtained from the National Health Insurance claims database. To identify risk factors for blood transfusion, a logistic regression model with generalized estimating equation was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for characteristics of the pregnant women, hospitals, clinics, and obstetricians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of blood transfusion was 1.43%. Cesarean delivery, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), and repeat cesarean delivery had higher rates of blood transfusion than vaginal delivery, with an OR of 7.2 (95% CI, 6.38-8.02), 4.2 (95% CI, 2.52-6.87), and 5.9 (95% CI, 5.06-6.80), respectively. Other risk factors included extremes of age; pregnancies complicated by prepartum hemorrhage, placenta previa, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, anemia, or systemic lupus erythematosus; and obstetricians with low or mid-to-low numbers of deliveries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study has identified risk factors for blood transfusion in pregnancy on the basis of a nationwide database and provides useful information for obstetric practice. For women with a history of cesarean delivery, vaginal delivery might be considered owing to its lower incidence of transfusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taiwan Adventist Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hei-Jen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jou
authors.forename: Hsin-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Yuan-Horng
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Shiao-Chi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017604:Cesarean Section, Repeat / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016208:Databases, Factual; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016064:Vaginal Birth after Cesarean / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult