title: Cardiovascular responses to blood transfusion in children with anemic heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the cardiovascular responses to blood transfusion in children with anemic heart failure using mostly clinical parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with anemic heart failure presenting to a children's emergency room and requiring blood transfusion were assessed for heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), liver size, and oxygen saturation (O 2 sat) pre-transfusion, 1-2 h into transfusion (intra-transfusion), immediate post-transfusion, and at late post-transfusion (24 h later).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 75 patients were recruited of which 46 (61.3%) were males. Their mean age was 43.8 ± 40.3 months while their mean PCV at presentation was 15.0 ± 4.5%. There was a significant mean net reduction of 10 beat per minute (bpm) between the pre (139.7 ± 25.2 bpm) and intra-transfusion (129.6 ± 22.0 bpm) HR, P = 0.0004. The mean net reduction of 4 cycles/ min between the pre and intra-transfusion RR was also significant, P = 0.0033. The two parameters declined in values subsequently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HR and RR are two easily measurable indices with reduction in HR and RR by 10 bpm and 4 cycles/min, respectively, from pre-transfusion to intra-transfusion observations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. sadohehi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Sadoh
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sadoh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okposio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria