Table 3.

Ongoing trials

Trial	Study details	Planned sample size	Participants	Description		Primary Outcome(s)
				Restrictive arm	Liberal arm
TRAIN (TRansfusion strategies in Acute brain INjured patients)	Multi-centre RCT; currently recruiting NCT02968654	4610 participants	Age ≥ 18 years; Acute Brain Injury (TBI, SAH, ICH), GCS ≤ 12 Hb ≤ 9 g/dL.	Transfusion if Hb ≤ 7 g/dL	Transfusion if Hb ≤ 9 g/dL	Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale of 6–8 at 180 days
HEMOglobin transfusion threshold in traumatic brain injury optimization (HEMOTION)	Multi-centre RCT; currently recruiting NCT03260478	712 participants	Age ≥ 18 years; Acute moderate to severe TBI; GCS ≤ 12; Hb ≤ 10 g/dL	Transfusion if Hb ≤ 7 g/dL	Transfusion if Hb ≤ 10 g/dL	Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale at 6 months
Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage—red blood cell transfusion and outcome (SAHARA)	Multi-centre RCT; currently recruiting NCT03309579	740 participants	Age ≥ 18 years; First ever aneurysmal SAH confirmed by treating physician; Hb ≤ 10 g/dL within 10 days following aSAH	Transfusion if Hb ≤ 80 g/L	Transfusion if Hb ≤ 100 g/L	Modified Rankin Score at 12 months
Myocardial ischaemia and transfusion (MINT)	Multi-centre RCT; currently recruiting NCT02981407	3500 participants	Age ≥ 18 years; STEMI or NSTEMI; Hb ≤ 10 g/dL	Transfusion if Hb ≤ 80 g/L	Transfusion if Hb ≤ 10 g/dL	Composite of all-cause mortality or nonfatal MI at 30 days

Trial	Study details	Planned sample size	Participants	Description		Primary Outcome(s)
				Control	Intervention
Small-volume tubes to reduce anaemia and transfusion (STRATUS)	Multi-centre, stepped wedge, cluster RCT; currently recruiting NCT03578419	16 ICUs; 10,000 participants	Age ≥ 19 years; Large ICU (at least 14 level 2–3 ICU bed)	Standard-volume (4–6 mL) blood collection tubes	Small-volume (2–3 mL) blood collection tubes	Mean no. of RBCs transfused per patient admitted to ICU for ≥ 48 h
Prophylactic platelet transfusion prior to central venous catheter placement in patients with thrombocytopenia (PACER)	Multi-centre RCT; currently recruiting NTR5653 (The Netherlands Trials Registry)	392 participants	Age ≥ 18 years; Need for CVC insertion; Platelet Count between 10–50 × 109/L	Standard practice	No prophylactic platelet transfusion	Procedure-related bleeding (WHO Grade 2–4) occurring within 24 h after the procedure
Hepcidin and iron deficiency in critically ill patients (HEPCIDANE)	Multi-centre RCT; recruitment complete NCT02276690	408 participants	Age ≥ 18 years; Hosptalised and required at least 5 days of ICU; Anaemia as defined by WHO standards	Intravenous iron (± EPO) according to ferritin levels	Intravenous iron (± EPO) according to hepcidin levels	Hospital length of stay post-ICU discharge
INtravenous iron to treat anaemia following CriTical care (INTACT)	Multi-centre, feasibility RCT ISRCTN13721808	100 participants	Age ≥ 16 years; discharged from ICU having required at least 24 h of ICU care; Hb ≤ 100 g/L	Usual medical care	1000 mg intravenous ferric carboxymaltose	Feasibility outcomes (recruitment, randomisation, follow-up rates)

aSAH aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, CVC central venous catheter, GCS Glasgow Coma Scale, Hb haemoglobin, ICH intracranial haemorrhage, ICU Intensive Care Unit, NSTEMI non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, RBC red blood cell, RCT randomised controlled trial, STEMI ST elevation myocardial infarction, TBI traumatic brain injury