Guidelines for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion thresholds for preterm neonates
| Assisted ventilation | CPAP | Breathing spontaneously | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <28 days | ⩾28 days | <28 days | ⩾28 days | Fio2>0.21 | Well in air | |
| Fio2⩾0.3 | Fio2<0.3 | |||||
| RBC transfusion may be considered at higher thresholds than the above for neonates with: hypovolaemia (unresponsive to crystalloid infusion); septic shock; necrotising enterocolitis; undergoing/recovering from major surgery. | ||||||
| CPAP, Continuous positive airways pressure; Hb, haemoglobin concentration; PCV, packed cell volume (values derived from capillary samples). | ||||||
| Hb<12 g/dl or PCV<0.40 | Hb<11 g/dl or PCV<0.35 | Hb<10 g/dl or PCV<0.30 | Hb<10 g/dl or PCV<0.30 | Hb<8 g/dl or PCV<0.25 | Hb<8 g/dl or PCV<0.25 | Hb<7 g/dl or PCV<0.20 |