Controlled trial of transfusions for silent cerebral infarcts in sickle cell anemia

M. R. DeBaun, M. Gordon, R. C. McKinstry, M. J. Noetzel, D. A. White, S. A. Sarnaik, E. R. Meier, T. H. Howard, S. Majumdar, B. P.D. Inusa, P. T. Telfer, M. Kirby-Allen, T. L. McCavit, A. Kamdem, G. Airewele, G. M. Woods, B. Berman, J. A. Panepinto, B. R. Fuh, J. L. KwiatkowskiA. A. King, J. M. Fixler, M. M. Rhodes, A. A. Thompson, M. E. Heiny, R. C. Redding-Lallinger, F. J. Kirkham, N. Dixon, C. E. Gonzalez, K. A. Kalinyak, C. T. Quinn, J. J. Strouse, J. P. Miller, H. Lehmann, M. A. Kraut, W. S. Ball, D. Hirtz, J. F. Casella

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

290 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Silent cerebral infarcts are the most common neurologic injury in children with sickle cell anemia and are associated with the recurrence of an infarct (stroke or silent cerebral infarct). We tested the hypothesis that the incidence of the recurrence of an infarct would be lower among children who underwent regular bloodtransfusion therapy than among those who received standard care. METHODS: In this randomized, single-blind clinical trial, we randomly assigned children with sickle cell anemia to receive regular blood transfusions (transfusion group) or standard care (observation group). Participants were between 5 and 15 years of age, with no history of stroke and with one or more silent cerebral infarcts on magnetic resonance imaging and a neurologic examination showing no abnormalities corresponding to these lesions. The primary end point was the recurrence of an infarct, defined as a stroke or a new or enlarged silent cerebral infarct. RESULTS: A total of 196 children (mean age, 10 years) were randomly assigned to the observation or transfusion group and were followed for a median of 3 years. In the transfusion group, 6 of 99 children (6%) had an end-point event (1 had a stroke, and 5 had new or enlarged silent cerebral infarcts). In the observation group, 14 of 97 children (14%) had an end-point event (7 had strokes, and 7 had new or enlarged silent cerebral infarcts). The incidence of the primary end point in the transfusion and observation groups was 2.0 and 4.8 events, respectively, per 100 years at risk, corresponding to an incidence rate ratio of 0.41 (95% confidence interval, 0.12 to 0.99; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Regular blood-transfusion therapy significantly reduced the incidence of the recurrence of cerebral infarct in children with sickle cell anemia.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)699-710
Number of pages12
JournalNew England Journal of Medicine
Volume371
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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