Cardiothoracic & vascular anesthesia
Transfusion-associated capillary leak in cardiac surgery is linked to adverse postoperative outcomes: a prospective observational study
Authors' conclusion
Among 405 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, perioperative transfusion was associated with higher inflammatory markers, an increase in extracellular water, and higher risks of AKI and ICU mortality in dose-response analyses, consistent with a transfusion-associated capillary leak phenotype that co-occurs with adverse postoperative outcomes.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing cardiac surgery at a tertiary academic center, May 2019 to October 2020
- Participants
- 405 adults
- Exposure
- Perioperative transfusion vs no transfusion
- Outcome
- Inflammatory and endothelial biomarkers (IL-6, IL-8, angiopoietin-2, syndecan-1), body fluid composition by bioelectrical impedance, and clinical outcomes (AKI, ICU LOS, ICU mortality)
Methodological detailssingle tertiary academic centre, case-matching, exploratory clustering
- Single tertiary academic centre
- Case-matching
- Exploratory clustering
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Postoperative IL-6 and IL-8
- Transfusion associated with elevated postoperative IL-6
- p < 0.001
- Transfusion associated with elevated postoperative IL-8
- p < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Transfusion-associated capillary leak (TAC) cluster: clinical outcomes
- TAC patients more frequently died during ICU stay
- P = 0.006
- TAC patients had higher odds of acute kidney injury (AKI)
- P < 0.001
- TAC patients had longer ICU length of stay (LOS)
- P < 0.001
- Exploratory clustering
Original publication
Transfusion-associated capillary leak in cardiac surgery is linked to adverse postoperative outcomes: a prospective observational study. Ann Intensive Care. Published 2 March 2026. doi:10.
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