Relationship between prophylactic erythropoietin in very low birth weight preterm anemia and transfusion frequency, germán urquidi maternal and infant hospital, march 2009 to january 2010.

Relationship between Prophylactic Erythropoietin and Transfusion Frequency

Abstract

Anemia is a frequent pathology in very low birth weight premature infants requiring repeated blood transfusions, which present numerous risks. Erythropoietin influences the development and increase of the red blood cell population.

To determine if the administration of prophylactic Erythropoietin in very low birth weight preterm infants anemia decreases transfusion frequency.

Retrospective internal cohort study of 24 very low weight preterm infants with gestational age < 32 weeks: one group exposed to human recombinant Erythropoietin and the other not. Deaths, previous anemia, sepsis, intrauterine growth retardation, congestive heart failure, surgeries or major congenital malformations were excluded. Exposed group: weight 1000 g., mean of 2 transfusions, 54 days of hospitalization, no anemia at discharge; non-exposed group: 1250 g., 2.23 transfusions and 38 days of hospitalization.

The use of Erythropoietin did not reduce the transfusion frequency in the treatment of anemia in very low birth weight preterm infants, nor did it prevent its production.