Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of the total population and subdivided according to received red blood cell transfusion on WEA
| Parameter | RBC transfusion on WEA | MD (95% CI) or OR (95% CI) | ||
| Total | Not transfused | Transfused | ||
| n=184 (100%) | n=94 (51.09%) | n=90 (48.91%) | ||
| Age (years) | 69.14±11.74 | 67.64±12.43 | 70.70±10.81 | −3.06 (−6.46 to 0.33) |
| Male gender | 139 (75.54) | 79 (84.04) | 60 (66.67) | 2.63 (1.30 to 5.33) |
| Length of stay | ||||
| ICU before WEA (d) | 18.88±12.69 | 17.15±10.23 | 20.68±14.67 | −3.53 (−7.23 to 0.17) |
| WEA (d) | 23.99±17.43 | 16.49±9.19 | 31.82±20.37 | −15.33 (−19.98 to −10.69) |
| MV duration (h) | ||||
| Total | 762.09±443.24 | 561.77±241.20 | 971.32±506.47 | −409.6 (−526.1 to −293.0) |
| On WEA | 336.71±333.36 | 184.30±130.48 | 495.90±400.68 | −311.6 (−399.5 to −223.7) |
| Death | ||||
| Total* | 34 (18.48) | 7 (7.45) | 27 (30) | 5.33 (2.18 to 13.00) |
| On WEA | 25 (13.59) | 5 (5.32) | 20 (22.22) | 5.09 (1.82 to 14.23) |
| Weaning outcome | ||||
| Success (3a) | 148 (80.43) | 87 (92.55) | 61 (67.78) | 0.17 (0.07 to 0.41) |
| Failure | 36 (19.57) | 7 (7.45) | 29 (32.22) | 5.91 (2.43 to 14.36) |
| 3b | 2 (1.09) | 0 | 2 (2.22) | |
| 3c | 34 (18.48) | 7 (7.45) | 27 (30) | |
| Clinical department | ||||
| Internal medicine | 65 (35.33) | 40 (42.55) | 25 (27.78) | 0.52 (0.28 to 0.96) |
| Surgery | 119 (64.67) | 54 (57.45) | 65 (72.22) | 1.93 (1.04 to 3.57) |
| Cardiac and thoracic surgery | 64 (34.78) | 26 (27.66) | 38 (42.22) | |
| Neurosurgery | 17 (9.24) | 13 (13.83) | 4 (4.44) | |
| Abdominal surgery | 12 (6.52) | 2 (2.13) | 10 (11.11) | |
| Other surgical discipline | 26 (13.98) | 13 (13.83) | 13 (14.44) | |
| Hb values | ||||
| On admission ICU | 109.7±24.9 | 116.6±25.6 | 102.5±22.1 | 14.2 (7.2 to 21.1) |
| On admission WEA | 86.8±10.7 | 91.1±11.1 | 82.4±8.0 | 8.8 (6.0 to 11.6) |
| Last value on WEA | 90.5±12.4 | 94.8±12.6 | 86.0±10.4 | 8.8 (5.5 to 12.2) |
| Anaemia | ||||
| On admission ICU | 133 (72.28) | 57 (60.64) | 76 (84.44) | 3.52 (1.74 to 7.13) |
| On admission WEA | 182 (98.91) | 92 (97.87) | 90 (100) | n/a |
| At discharge WEA | 183 (99.46) | 93 (98.94) | 90 (100) | n/a |
| Patients receiving RBC transfusion | ||||
| On ICU | 139 (75.54) | 61 (64.89 %) | 78 (86.67) | 3.52 (1.68 to 7.38) |
| On WEA | 90 (48.91) | -/- | 90 (100) | n/a |
| RBC count | ||||
| On ICU before WEA | 4.86±6.37 | 3.19±4.35 | 6.60±7.59 | −3.41 (−5.22 to −1.60) |
| On WEA | 2.14±3.76 | 0 | 4.38±4.37 | −4.38 (−5.30 to −3.46) |
| Hb mean value on WEA | 91.2±9.6 | 95.8±10.5 | 86.3±5.3 | 9.5 (7.1 to 11.9) |
| SAPS und TISS | ||||
| On admission ICU | ||||
| SAPS II | 37.68±9.15 | 36.20±9.14 | 39.22±8.94 | −3.02 (−5.65 to −0.39) |
| TISS | 14.85±6.49 | 14.06±6.08 | 15.67±6.82 | −1.60 (−3.48 to 0.28) |
| SAPS II+TISS | 52.39±13.54 | 50.27±12.97 | 54.61±13.84 | −4.35 (−8.25 to −0.45) |
| On admission WEA | ||||
| SAPS II | 32.34±7.99 | 30.66±7.34 | 34.09±8.31 | −3.43 (−5.71 to −1.15) |
| TISS | 10.24±1.78 | 9.95±1.79 | 10.54±1.73 | −0.60 (−1.11 to −0.09) |
| SAPS II+TISS | 42.53±8.47 | 40.51±7.59 | 44.63±8.87 | −4.12 (−6.52 to −1.73) |
| Preexisting diseases | ||||
| Coronary heart disease | 103 (55.98) | 49 (52.13) | 54 (60) | 1.38 (0.77 to 2.47) |
| CVRF | 158 (85.87) | 78 (82.89) | 80 (88.89) | 1.64 (0.70 to 3.84) |
| Implanted heart valve | 38 (20.65) | 16 (17.02) | 22 (24.44) | 1.58 (0.77 to 3.25) |
| COPD | 42 (22.83) | 16 (17.02) | 26 (28.89) | 1.98 (0.98 to 4.01) |
| GOLD I | 2 (1.09) | 1 (1.06) | 1 (1.11) | |
| GOLD II | 6 (3.26) | 2 (2.13) | 4 (4.44) | |
| GOLD III | 6 (3.26) | 1 (1.06) | 5 (5.56) | |
| GOLD IV | 12 (6.52) | 4 (4.26) | 8 (8.89) | |
| GOLD undetermined | 13 (7.07) | 6 (6.38) | 7 (7.78) | |
| Asthma | 4 (2.17) | 3 (3.19) | 1 (1.11) | 0.34 (0.04 to 3.34) |
| Neuromuscular disease | 14 (7.61) | 8 (8.51) | 6 (6.67) | 0.77 (0.26 to 2.31) |
| Course of treatment | ||||
| ECMO required (before WEA) | 6 (3.26) | 5 (5.32) | 1 (1.11) | 0.20 (0.02 to 1.75) |
| OP on cardiopulmonary bypass | 62 (33.70) | 24 (25.53) | 38 (42.22) | 2.13 (1.14 to 3.98) |
| Pulmonary embolism | 4 (2.17) | 2 (2.13) | 2 (2.22) | 1.05 (0.14 to 7.58) |
| Anticoagulants | ||||
| Heparine prophylactic dose | 71 (38.59) | 28 (29.79) | 43 (47.78) | 2.16 (1.77 to 3.95) |
| Heparine therapeutic dose | 82 (44.57) | 30 (31.91) | 52 (57.78) | 2.92 (1.60 to 5.33) |
| LMWH prophylactic dose | 82 (44.57) | 50 (53.19) | 32 (35.56) | 0.49 (0.27 to 0.88) |
| LMWH therapeutic dose | 38 (20.65) | 22 (23.40) | 16 (17.78) | 0.71 (0.34 to 1.46) |
| Argatroban proph. dose | 1 (0.54) | 0 | 1 (1.11) | n/a |
| Argatroban therap. dose | 4 (2.17) | 2 (2.13) | 2 (2.22) | 1.05 (0.14 to 7.58) |
| OAC | 13 (7.07) | 5 (5.32) | 8 (8.89) | 1.74 (0.55 to 5.52) |
| NOAC | 2 (1.09) | 1 (1.06) | 1 (1.11) | 1.05 (0.06 to 16.96) |
| Acetylsalicylic acid only | 79 (43.93) | 37 (39.36) | 42 (46.67) | 1.35 (0.75 to 2.42) |
| P2Y Antagonist only | 4 (2.17) | 1 (1.06) | 3 (3.33) | 3.21 (0.33 to 31.42) |
| DAPT | 37 (20.11) | 20 (21.28) | 17 (18.89) | 0.86 (0.42 to 1.78) |
| Vasopressors | ||||
| None | 90 (48.91) | 67 (71.28) | 23 (25.56) | 0.14 (0.07 to 0.27) |
| Norepinephrine | 94 (51.09) | 27 (28.72) | 67 (74.44) | 7.23 (3.77 to 13.86) |
| <0.05 µg/kg/min | 12 (6.52) | 5 (5.32) | 7 (7.78) | |
| 0.05–0.1 µg/kg/min | 22 (11.96) | 7 (7.45) | 15 (16.67) | |
| ≥0.1 µg/kg/min (or other vasopressors) | 60 (32.61) | 15 (15.96) | 45 (50) | |
| Renal replacement therapy | 28 (15.22) | 2 (2.13) | 26 (28.89) | 18.69 (4.28 to 81.54) |
Data are given as mean±SD or n (%). Differences in means were calculated as non-transfused group minus transfused group.
*Including fatal cases after discharge from WEA during the same hospital stay.
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CVRF, cardiovascular risk factor; DAPT, dual antiplatelet therapy; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; Hb, haemoglobin; ICU, intensive care unit; LMWH, low molecular weight heparine; MD, mean difference; MV, mechanical ventilation; n/a, not applicable; NOAC, novel oral anticoagulants; OAC, oral anticoagulant; OP, operation; RBC, red blood cell; SAPS, Simplified Acute Physiology Score; TISS, Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System; WEA, weaning unit.