Fig. 2.
Event rates for five morbid outcomes are plotted according to the number of erythrocyte units transfused. In high-dose transfused patients, hospital-acquired infections and thrombotic events were four to five times more prevalent than renal, respiratory, or ischemic events. The incidence of infection increased with erythrocyte dose up to 40% and then plateaued. Thrombotic events increased up to a rate of 50% before reaching a plateau. Renal, respiratory, and ischemic event rates increased gradually up to rates of 5 to 10% at an erythrocyte dose of 20 units. RBC = erythrocyte.