(0324) Perioperative Blood Transfusions Increase Poor Outcomes After Otolaryngology Surgeries: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Study

Introduction: Perioperative blood transfusions (PBT), defined as red blood cell transfusions within 72 hours of surgery start, have unclear implications on postoperative outcomes in otolaryngology surgeries. This study utilizes a large national database to investigate the relationship between PBT and postoperative complications in otolaryngology surgeries.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) from 2011 to 2021. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between PBT and poor outcomes within 30 days postoperatively. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.

Results: Of the 236,014 patients included in the study, 3,068 (1.3%) underwent PBT. PBT had significantly higher odds of 30-day mortality, superficial surgical site infection (SSI), deep SSI, wound dehiscence, and organ/space SSI (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, PBTs had increased odds of medical complications such as cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, stroke, DVT, sepsis, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, and UTI.

Conclusions: This study reveals a significant association between PBT and increased postoperative complications in otolaryngology surgeries. The results highlight a higher likelihood of mortality, surgical site infections, and serious medical complications in patients receiving PBT. These findings emphasize the need for cautious use of PBT in ENT procedures, potentially influencing future clinical practice guidelines and encouraging further research into safer surgical practices.