Transfusion thresholds: the need for a patient-centered approach in hematologic disorders that require chronic transfusion therapy

Abstract

Transfusion is an essential life-sustaining treatment for many patients. However, unnecessary transfusion has been reported to be related to worse patient outcomes. Further, owing to the recent pandemic, blood supply has been more challenging to maintain. Many studies have been conducted to elucidate the optimal transfusion threshold for many clinical conditions, and most suggested that a restrictive transfusion strategy has advantages over a liberal transfusion strategy. Hematologic disorders, which require chronic transfusion in many cases, have not been the main subjects of such studies, and only little evidence is available regarding the optimal transfusion threshold in these patients. According to several recent studies, a liberal transfusion strategy is preferable for patients with hematologic disorders due to their quality of life. A patient-centered approach is needed for proper management of hematologic disorders.