Restrictive vs Liberal Transfusion Strategy on Cardiac Injury in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Fractured Neck Of Femur

Overview

The investigator wishes to see if it is possible to undertake a study comparing blood transfusion at two different levels of anaemia to see which is best for patients. All patients that present to hospital with a broken hip will be able to take part in the study. If they become anaemic during their treatment they will be allocated to either be transfused when their blood count is less that 9 or less than 7. In all patients, we will measure heart damage with a blood test that is very sensitive. The investigator will also collect data on the incidence of heart attacks and other complications.

Many frail and elderly patients undergo surgery for hip fractures every year. Many of these patients have other health problems including heart disease and anaemia (low haemoglobin or "low blood count") either from chronic illness, from bleeding at the time of their injury or during subsequent surgery. The vast majority (more than 95%) of these patients will go on to have surgery. This surgery is often high risk. Patients with this type of injury may already be frail, may be in hospital for a long time and will need rehabilitation. Many of them will develop complications, including heart attacks and some will die. Doctors looking after these patients commonly prescribe a blood transfusion around the time of surgery. These patient often have anaemia before surgery an lose more blood during their operations. A benefit of blood transfusion is that it may increase the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. One of the main reasons that doctors prescribe blood around the time of surgery is to prevent heart attacks, which can occur if the heart doesn't receive enough oxygen. Another possible benefit of blood transfusion is that it may help patients get out of bed more quickly after surgery. This is another important aspect of their recovery. However, blood transfusions can have side effects such as causing heart failure or increasing infections after surgery. These can delay patient recovery too. Although some research has been done in this area, anaesthetists and surgeons are still unsure of when to prescribe blood transfusions to these patients. In particular, uncertainty about how low the blood count should be before a blood transfusion is ordered. Some doctors prescribe blood when the haemoglobin count is less than 9 and some at a lower level of 7. Current guidelines suggest that prescribing at a lower haemoglobin count is better, but there is research which suggests that this level is too low if the patient has a history of heart disease.