Studies from Weill Cornell Medicine Have Provided New Data on Blood Transfusion (Medicare and Medicaid Insurance Status Is Associated With Increased Allogeneic Red Blood Cell Transfusion In Cardiac Surgery Patients: 2007-2018): Transfusion Medicine – Blood Transfusion

2022 DEC 21 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Researchers detail new data in Transfusion Medicine - Blood Transfusion. According to news reporting originating in New York City, New York, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and health insurance status are independently associated with perioperative morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of insurance status on allogeneic and autologous transfusion risk in cardiac surgery patients.”

Financial support for this research came from foundation anesthesia education and research FAER.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Weill Cornell Medicine, “We conducted a retrospective observational study of data spanning 2007-2018 from six states from the State Inpatient Databases. Patients were cohorted by medical insurance type. Rates and risk-adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated for allogenic and autologous RBC transfusions. Interactions between insurance and race/ethnicity were assessed. A total of 710,296 cardiac surgery patients were included. Allogeneic infusions occurred in 34.7% of Medicare patients, 31.9% of Medicaid patients, 24.7% of privately insured patients, and 26.1% of uninsured patients. Autologous rates were 2.3%, 2.5%, 3.4%, and 2.6% for Medicare, Medicaid, privately insured, and uninsured patients, respectively. Medicare and Medicaid patients were more likely to receive allogeneic RBC than privately insured patients (Medicare: aOR: 1.42, 99% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40-1.44, p< .001, Medicaid: aOR: 1.18, 99% CI: 1.14-1.21, p< .001). Nonwhite Medicare patients showed higher odds of allogeneic transfusion compared with White patients with private insurance (Black Medicare: aOR 1.74, 99% CI: 1.65-1.83, p< .001, Hispanic Medicare: aOR 1.92, 99% CI: 1.84-2.00, p< .001). Cardiac surgery patients with Medicare and Medicaid insurance demonstrate increased risk of allogeneic RBC transfusion; nonwhite patient groups are particularly vulnerable.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Further research is needed to understand the causes and implications of these disparities, and to help ensure equitable care across patient groups.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Medicare and Medicaid Insurance Status Is Associated With Increased Allogeneic Red Blood Cell Transfusion In Cardiac Surgery Patients: 2007-2018. Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2022. Journal of Cardiac Surgery can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Journal of Cardiac Surgery - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1540-8191)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Marguerite M. Hoyler, Weill Cornell Medicine, Dept. of Anesthesiology, 525 East 68TH St, Box 124, New York, NY 10065, United States. Additional authors for this research include Sinead O’Shaughnessy, Virginia Tangel, Rahul Chaturvedi, Amal Javaid and Robert White.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocs.17168. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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