Red blood cell utilization and transfusion triggers in patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in Iceland 2003-2016.

Background And Objectives: Revised Icelandic guidelines proposed a restrictive haemoglobin (Hb) threshold of 70 g/l for red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in general, but 100 g/l for malignancies/bone marrow suppression. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is frequently complicated by anaemia. The objective was to investigate RBC transfusion practices in CLL.

[Chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Iceland from 2003 to 2013: Incidence, presentation and diagnosis].

Introduction: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the proliferation of monoclonal B-lymphocytes. MBL (monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis) is considered a precursor state of the disease. Although CLL is incurable it is an indolent disorder and often detected incidentally on routine blood counts.