Higher or Lower Hemoglobin Transfusion Thresholds for Preterm Infants.

Background: Limited data suggest that higher hemoglobin thresholds for red-cell transfusions may reduce the risk of cognitive delay among extremely-low-birth-weight infants with anemia.

Methods: We performed an open, multicenter trial in which infants with a birth weight of 1000 g or less and a gestational age between 22 weeks 0 days and 28 weeks 6 days were randomly assigned within 48 hours after delivery to receive red-cell transfusions at higher or lower hemoglobin thresholds until 36 weeks of postmenstrual age or discharge, whichever occurred first. The primary outcome was a composite of death or neurodevelopmental impairment (cognitive delay, cerebral palsy, or hearing or vision loss) at 22 to 26 months of age, corrected for prematurity.

Integrated analysis of toxicity data of two pharmaceutical immunosuppressants and two environmental pollutants with immunomodulating properties to improve the understanding of side effects-A toxicopathologist׳s view.

Data in a toxicity test are evaluated generally per parameter. Information on the response per animal in addition to per parameter can improve the evaluation of the results. The results from the six studies in rats, described in the paper by Kemmerling, J.