Outcomes after implementing restrictive blood transfusion criteria in extremely premature infants.

Objective: To assess mortality and morbidities in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants before and after changing to a restrictive blood transfusion guideline (RTG).

Study Design: This is a large retrospective study comparing outcomes of a liberal transfusion guideline (LTG) and RTG in VLBW infants admitted to a large single neonatal intensive care unit. Blood and platelet transfusion details, mortality, and diagnoses of frequently diagnosed morbidities were collected for each infant.