The relationship between intraoperative blood transfusion and postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Abstract

Background: Previous observations suggest that intraoperative blood transfusion (IBT) is a risk factor for adverse postoperative outcomes. IBT alters immune function and may predispose to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: Patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database were studied over a 5-year period. Logistic regression identified predictors of SIRS. Propensity matching was used to obtain a balanced set of patients with equivalent preoperative risks for IBT. Results: Of 553,288 inpatients, 19,968 (3.6%) developed postoperative SIRS, and 40,378 (7.2%) received IBT. Mortality in patients with SIRS was 13-fold higher than in those without SIRS (13.5% vs 1.0%, P