RESUMO
UNLABELLED: The early anemia in preterm infants, usually implies as a remedy, the use of erythrocyte transfusions indicated according to transfusion criteria which are variable from one neonatal center to another. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate our practice of transfusions concerning the anemia in preterm infants. METHODS: A descriptive study on 113 preterm infants whose gestational age is < 37 weeks and who were hospitalised in Neonatal Service at the Infants Hospital at Rabat during the year 2006, by recording the gestational age, the weight at birth, the rate of haemoglobin and hematocrit at the first admission of the infant and before his first blood transfusion and finally the clinical and biological indications. In order to analyse the criteria of blood transfusion, we have compared between two groups: a group A of 65 transfused preterm infants and a group B of 48 non-transfused with the test of Chi2 and t Student at threshold of P < 0,005. RESULTS: The medium gestational age was that of 33 weeks and the medium weight at birth was 1.672 g. 57,5% of preterm infants were transfused. The preterm babies who has received transfusion compared to those who have not, are significantly more preterm, their weight at birth is weak and the time of hospitalisation is longer, having had more nosocomial infections, postnatal bleeding and their haemoglobin and hematocrit rate at birth is lower (P < 0,001). 41,5% of transfused infants had presented clinical signs of anemia and had been transfused one week earlier than asymptomatic infants and had elevated rates of haemoglobin and hematocrit (P < 0,005). CONCLUSION: The use of blood transfusion is frequent in our context and implies preventive measures to reduce it.
