Table 3 Patient characteristics by timing of transfusion relative to PICU admission

Age at admission (months)

128 ± 74

91 ± 80

86 ± 87

80 ± 81

0.001*

Gender (females)

40 (56 %)

116 (48 %)

28 (37 %)

57 (40 %)

0.065

Indications for PRBC

 Active blood loss

5 (7 %)

81 (34 %)

29 (38 %)

32 (22 %)

<0.001

 Hemodynamic instability

3 (4 %)

63 (26 %)

15 (20 %)

35 (24 %)

0.001

 Hypoxia

0 (0 %)

9 (4 %)

3 (4 %)

11 (8 %)

0.053

 Anemia

1 (1 %)

71 (30 %)

16 (21 %)

49 (34 %)

<0.001

 Unspecified^a

62 (87 %)

1 (0.4 %)

5 (7 %)

2 (1 %)

<0.001

Reason for PICU admission

 Cardiovascular

3 (4 %)

30 (13 %)

14 (18 %)

22 (15 %)

0.056

 Post-operative

40 (56 %)

35 (15 %)

10 (13 %)

16 (11 %)

<0.001

 Respiratory

1 (1 %)

39 (16 %)

18 (24 %)

37 (26 %)

<0.001

 Trauma

24 (34 %)

44 (18 %)

16 (21 %)

21 (15 %)

0.009

 Oncologic

0 (0 %)

21 (9 %)

1 (1 %)

5 (4 %)

0.003

Severity scores

 PRISM III score

3.7 ± 5.2

9.2 ± 10.3

8.0 ± 7.9

7.4 ± 8.1

<0.001*

 PIM2 score

−5.1 ± 1.6

−4.0 ± 1.9

−3.8 ± 1.8

−4.0 ± 1.7

<0.001*

 Day 1 PELOD

9.2 ± 7.2

14.2 ± 12

13.1 ± 11.9

12.6 ± 10.2

0.006*

Hemoglobin (g/dL)

9.1 ± 2.0

7.5 ± 2.1

8.2 ± 3.3

7.9 ± 1.4

<0.001**

Transfused amount (mL/kg)

12.4 ± 6.6

13.3 ± 7.3

13.1 ± 5.8

13.5 ± 5.5

0.679

Mortality

1/71 (1 %)

21/240 (9 %)

13/76 (17 %)

13/142 (9 %)

0.012

30-day mortality

1/71 (1 %)

21/240 (9 %)

12/76 (16 %)

10/142 (7 %)

0.016