What are the main findings of the HEMOTION trial?
Medically reviewed by Louis-Antoine Mullie, MD.
Answer
The HEMOTION trial, a multi-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial, investigated the role of liberal transfusion strategy in critically ill patients with traumatic brain injury and anemia .
Primary outcome
- The primary outcome showed no significant difference in unfavorable outcome on the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended at 6 months between the liberal transfusion strategy group and the restrictive transfusion strategy group (68.4% vs. 73.5%; RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.04)
Secondary outcomes
- There was no significant difference in death at 6 months between the two groups (26.8% vs. 26.3%; HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.35)
- A significant increase in the median score on the Functional Independence Measure was observed in the liberal transfusion group compared to the restrictive transfusion group (119 points vs. 115 points; MD 4.34, 95% CI 0.22 to 8.45)
- A significant increase in the median score on the EuroQol VAS was also noted in the liberal transfusion group compared to the restrictive transfusion group (70 points vs. 60 points; MD 5.19, 95% CI 0.52 to 9.86)
Safety outcomes
- There was no significant difference in venous thromboembolic events between the two groups
- The trial concluded that in adults with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury and anemia, a liberal transfusion strategy was not superior to a restrictive transfusion strategy with respect to unfavorable outcome on the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended at 6 months