20 units and beyond: where is the line between utility and futility?
Eugenia Ester Lee, Kazuhide Matsushima · 2026
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Description
Eugenia Ester Lee and Kazuhide Matsushima weigh when very large blood transfusions help trauma patients and when they cannot, in a 2026 commentary. Ultra-massive transfusion means more than twenty units of red blood cells within a day. It can save the worst-injured patients, but it also drains scarce blood stocks. The piece discusses a case series on such transfusions, where just over half of the patients lived to leave the hospital.
Lee and Matsushima argue that no single unit count should decide care. Body state, injury pattern, and response to early care matter more, they say. Teams should spot early who is likely to gain from the effort. They also call for clear thought on when more blood is unlikely to help. The choice, they close, rests on the judgment of the trauma team at the bedside.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Eugenia Ester Lee, Kazuhide Matsushima |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 3 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |