Transfusion practices for pediatric oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients: Data from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study‐III (REDS‐III)

Background To evaluate transfusion practices in pediatric oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients. Study design and methods This is a multicenter retrospective study of children with oncologic diagnoses treated from 2013 to 2016 at hospitals participating in the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study‐III. Transfusion practices were evaluated by diagnosis codes and pre‐transfusion laboratory values. Results A total of 4766 inpatient encounters of oncology and HSCT patients were evaluated, with 39.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 37.9%–40.7%) involving a transfusion. Red blood cells (RBCs) were the most commonly transfused component (32.4%; 95% CI: 31.1%–33.8%), followed by platelets (22.7%; 95% CI: 21.5%–23.9%). Patients in the 1 to