TACO-BEL-3: a feasibility study and a retrospective audit of diuretics for patients receiving blood transfusion at ten hospitals.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) is the leading cause of transfusion-related morbidity and mortality. A recently completed pilot trial randomized patients to pre-transfusion furosemide versus placebo but had a slower than expected enrollment rate. We sought to determine whether the lack of recruitment was due to a paucity of eligible patients or excessively restrictive eligibility criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: At 10 sites, eligible patients were retrospectively identified by first screening blood bank databases over one month for all transfusion episodes meeting trial inclusion criteria, defined as non-surgical patients receiving single RBC unit transfusions. The age threshold was decreased from 65 to 50 years. The first 10 patients meeting inclusion criteria then underwent detailed chart review for the exclusion criteria. The incidence of TACO and furosemide use was also recorded. RESULTS: At the 10 sites, 11 969 red cell units were transfused over 1 month and 1356 met the inclusion criteria. Of the 100 charts reviewed, 60 (60%) had no exclusion criteria. Active bleeding was the most common reason for ineligibility. There were 813 eligible transfusion episodes. Of the eligible patients, 17 (28·3%) had evidence of congestive heart failure, and furosemide was prescribed in 24 (40%). Despite the use of a lower age threshold, three cases of TACO were detected with an incidence of 3%. CONCLUSION: A large number of transfusion episodes met eligibility criteria. With a 3% incidence of TACO, 50% decrease through the use pre-transfusion furosemide and a target consent rate of 30%, a definitive trial of approximately 3000 patients could be completed within 1 year.

Treatment changes in hemophilia A with chromogenic factor VIII assay implementation.

Background: The one-stage assay (OSA) and the chromogenic assay (CSA) are 2 factor VIII (FVIII) assays used for the diagnosis and classification of hemophilia A. Discrepancies between the 2 assays exist in approximately one-third of patients with mild hemophilia A. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to report the proportion of patients with mild or moderate hemophilia A and OSA-CSA discrepancies and to report the observed changes in treatment approach prompted by the presence of assay discrepancy. The study aimed to identify OSA:CSA ratio associated with the highest sensitivity for identification of patients in whom modification of treatment approach may be recommended. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study including adult (>18-year-old) patients with mild or moderate hemophilia A who were followed up at the Adult British Columbia Hemophilia Program between January 2013 and March 2019. Results: A total of 75 patients with mild and 23 with moderate hemophilia A based on baseline OSA were included. Overall, 52% of study patients had OSA-CSA discrepancies, and change in treatment approach was observed in 27% of patients with OSA-CSA discrepancy. The OSA:CSA ratio of 1.8 to 3.5 demonstrated the highest area under the receiver operating characteristics curve and sensitivity for identification of patients in which modification of treatment approach may be recommended (AUC 0.75; sensitivity 71%). Conclusion: In our population, OSA-CSA discrepancy was observed in 52% of patients with mild or moderate hemophilia A, and the treatment approach in 27% of these patients had to be modified.