Anemia is common in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Indications for red cell transfusion are controversial.
Randomized trials that have compared transfusion specials in a total of 820 patients with myocardial infarction have shown inconsistent results.
Blood transfusion may decrease ischemic injury by improving oxygen delivery to myocardial tissues and reduce the risk of reinforcing with death.
Alternatively, administering more blood could result in more frequent heart failure from fluid overload, infection from immunosuppression, thrombosis from higher viscosity, and higher inflammation.
In patients with acute myocardial infarction and anemia, a liberal transfusion strategy of less than 10 g/dL, did not significantly reduce the risk of recurrent myocardial infarction or death in 30 days, compared to a restricted transfusion strategy of hemoglobin of less than seven or 8 g/dL (Carson J L ).