Outcomes in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patients requiring red blood cell transfusion: A nationwide perspective

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can be complicated by anemia due to periprocedural bleeding, hemolysis, vascular events, or significant bleeding associated with antiplatelet therapy. We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to study the outcomes of patients who underwent TAVR and developed significant anemia requiring red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. This is a retrospective cohort study utilizing the NIS database from 2016 to 2017. We identified patients who underwent TAVR and required RBC transfusion using ICD-10 and PCS-10 codes. The primary outcome was all-cause inpatient mortality, and the secondary outcomes were the cost of hospitalization and length of stay (LOS). Student t-test, Chi-square, and ANOVA were utilized for statistical analysis where applicable. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. STATA 15.0 was utilized for data analysis. A total of 18,325 patients underwent TAVR in 2016–2017. Among them, 6.7 % of patients required RBC transfusion. Patients were relatively older in the transfusion group (81 yrs vs 79 yrs; p