Treatment of transfusion requiring anemia in a Quick Diagnostic Unit integrated in an Emergency Department Setting

Results We found 108 patients. 71% was referred to hospital by their general practitioner and 18% of the patients came from oncological departments. In the given period we treated around 4 patients each week. 25 patients were admitted more than once, on average they came every 42nd day. Two thirds of the patients only stayed for a few hours. 55 patients had a diagnosed cancer, 29 were men and 26 were women. 53 patients had a nonmalignant disease, 26 were men and 27 were women. The mean age for oncological patients was 73.8 ± 1.3 (n = 55) years and for nonmalignant patients 75 ± 1.8 years (n = 53) (p > 0.6). Oncological patients were given SAG-M transfusions at a Hb level of 5.0 ± 0.09 mMol/L (80.4 ± 1.4 g/L). Nonmalignant patients received SAG-M at a Hb level of 4.7 ± 0.07 mMol/L (75.7 ± 1.1 g/L) (p <0.05). On average patients with malignant disease tended to receive less blod than patients with nonmalignant diseases (p=0.06), i.e. 2.2 ± 0.1 vs. 2.5 ± 0.1 SAG-M per contact. This however in clinical practice amounts to 2 SAG-M for both patient categories.