The change in hematocrit (?Hct) following packed red blood cell (pRBCs) transfusion is a clinically relevant measurement of\r\ntransfusion efficacy that is influenced by post-transfusion hemolysis. Sexual dimorphism has been observed in critical illness\r\nand may be related to gender-specific differences in immune response. We investigated the relationship between both donor and\r\nrecipient gender and ?Hct in an analysis of all pRBCs transfusions in our surgical intensive care unit (2006ââ?¬â??2009). The relationship\r\nbetween both donor and recipient gender and ?Hct (% points) was assessed using both univariate and multivariable analysis. A\r\ntotal of 575 units of pRBCs were given to 342 patients; 289 (49.9%) donors were male. By univariate analysis, ?Hct was significantly\r\ngreater for female as compared to male recipients (3.81% versus 2.82%, resp., P < 0.01). No association was observed between\r\ndonor gender and ?Hct, which was 3.02% following receipt of female blood versus 3.23% following receipt of male blood (P =\r\n0.21). By multivariable analysis, recipient gender remained associated significantly with ?Hct (P < 0.01). In conclusion, recipient\r\ngender is independently associated with ?Hct following pRBCs transfusion. This association does not appear related to either\r\ndemographic or anthropomorphic factors, raising the possibility of gender-related differences in recipient immune response to\r\ntransfusion.
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