Transfusion efficacy and adverse events of a restrictive transfusion strategy in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding

BACKGROUND: Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) is a life-threatening challenge, necessitating appropriate transfusion strategies to optimize recovery and reduce complications. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of restrictive versus liberal transfusion strategies in patients with AUGIB. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial, 110 patients with AUGIB were randomly assigned to a control group (liberal transfusion) or a study group (restrictive transfusion). Outcome measures included transfusion-related indicators, hemostatic outcomes, coagulation parameters, hemorheological indices, and incidence of adverse events and rebleeding. RESULTS: < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to liberal transfusion, restrictive transfusion effectively improves short-term hemostasis, coagulation function, and hemorheology while reducing adverse reactions and rebleeding in AUGIB patients. However, the single-center design and absence of long-term follow-up are study limitations.