A clinical study on prematurity who received blood transfusion

ABSTRACT

A clinical study was made on 85 cases of prematurity under 37 weeks of gestational age who had history of blood transfusion during their admission at the National Medical Center from January 1989 to June 1992. The results were as follows 1) Among 339 prematurity patients, 85 patients(25.1%) received blood transfusion once at least. 2) Male to female ratio was 1.131 and mean gestational age was 32.5 2.7weeks (range25~36 weeks). 3) Most of blood transfusion(66/85 cases) were performed within first week of life. 4) 67 patients(78.8%) received blood transfusion 3 times or less. 5) Combined diseases were hyaline membrane disease(69.4%), jaundice(51.8%), sepsis(30.6%), PDA (14.1%), DIC (8.2%), pulmonary hemorrhage(7.1%), intraventricular hemorrhage (7.1%), pneumonia(7.1%) and hepatitis(4.7%). 6) Clinical manifestations at the time of blood transfusion were pallor (47.1%), decreased activity (44.7%), bradycardia (23.5%),apnea (21.2%), tachypnea (20.0%), lethargy (4.7%), poor weight gain (3.5%) and tachycardia (3.5%). 7) The values of hematocrit were significantly increased after transfusion(42.4 +/-7.2 vs 34.6 +/- 6.8vol%). 8) The episodes of bradycardia were significantly decreased after blood transfusion(0.09 +/- 0.39 vs 0.23+/- 0.78)while the episodes of apnea were not (0.15 +/-0.71 vs 0.27+/- 0.84).