Cardio-oncology & otherCohort study
Anaemia and blood transfusion in cardiac surgery with infective endocarditis
- retrospective multicentre cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Anaemia and transfusion are highly prevalent in IE surgery and associated with increased mortality. RBC transfusion is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes, underscoring the need for improved anaemia management and individualised transfusion strategies.
Study context
- Population
- Adult patients who underwent valve surgery for active infective endocarditis (IE), Netherlands Heart Registration, 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2023
- Participants
- 2,480 patients
- Exposure
- Associations of anaemia severity and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion with 30-day and 1-year mortality
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Preoperative anaemia
Preoperative anaemia
84.9%
Moderate anaemia
50.7%
Severe anaemia
2.8%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
RBC transfusion and mortality · 30 days
| Comparison | adjusted HR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| RBC transfusion · Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model | 3.58 (2.07–6.19) | |
| 0.10.31310Adjusted hazard ratio (log scale) |
- RBC transfusion and mortality: mortality at 30 days; independently associated with mortality at both time points
RBC transfusion
- RBC transfusion
- 78.7%
Mortality · 30-day and 1-year
- 30-day mortality
- 10.6%
- 1-year mortality
- 16.6%
Moderate and severe anaemia and mortality
- Associated with higher mortality in univariable, but not in multivariable analysis
Sex differences
- Female patients had higher transfusion rates and mortality
Original publication
Anaemia and blood transfusion in cardiac surgery with infective endocarditis. Heart. Published 29 December 2025. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2025-326424
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it