The timing of pretransplant transfusions and renal allograft survival

Analysis of over 3000 cadaveric renal allograft recipients transplanted between June 1977 and June 1982 as part of the South-Eastern Organ Procurement Foundation Prospective Study was performed to determine the influence of timing of blood transfusions (BT) on patient and graft survival. Four mutually exclusive BT groups were identified for 2480 first-transplant and 655 regrafted patients studied: group 1 (n = 348, 29, respectively) received no BT; group 2 (n = 256, 29, respectively) received perioperative BT only (i.e., at the time of, or within 10 days of transplant); group 3 (n = 972, 287, respectively) received preoperative BT only (i.e., 10 or more days pretransplant); group 4 (n = 904, 310, respectively) received both preoperative and perioperative BT. For first graft recipients, actuarial graft survival for group 2 was significantly greater (P <0.035) than group 1 (49% vs. 41% at one year; 35% vs. 25% at 4 years), but to a lesser degree than groups 3 or 4, which were equivalent (58% at one year and 38% at 4 years). For regrafted patients, actuarial graft survival was again significantly greater (P