UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Transfusion in Major Trauma: The PROPPR Trial

Category: Critical Care

Keywords: massive transfusion, trauma, bleeding, critical care, severe trauma, PROPPR (PubMed Search)

Posted: 3/10/2015 by Feras Khan, MD
Click here to contact Feras Khan, MD

Transfusion in Major Trauma: The PROPPR Trial

What should we be transfusing in major trauma?

  • Should we aim towards 1:1:1 ratios or is that unnecessary? Most trauma centers have gone towards a 1:1:1 ratio or a 1:1:2 ratio with a greater percentage of RBCs transfused in the latter
  • Our strategy should be to avoid coagulopathy, acidosis, and hypothermia
  • This trial looks at transfusion of Plasma, Platelets, and RBCs in a 1:1:1 vs a 1:1:2 ratio
  • Is it safe to give 1:1:1 ratios?

The Trial

  • RCT, Non-blinded
  • 12 Trauma Centers in North America
  • 15 years or older; highest level trauma activation
  • Predicted to receive massive transfusion
  • Transfusions stopped when clinically indicated

Results

  • 24 hour or 30 day mortality no significant difference
  • Post-hoc analysis: death by exsanguination (9% vs 15%) in the 1st 24hrs was significantly decreased in the 1:1:1 group
  • Achieved hemostatis (86% vs 78%; p = 0.006) greater in the 1:1:1 group

Conclusions

  • Was not powered to detect a difference of less than 10% in mortality
  • There was less mortality from exsanguination in the 1:1:1 ratio.
  • Worth noting that platelets given first in 1:1:1 group (in control group 6 U and 3 FFP given prior to platelets)
  • There was some "catch up" in the 1:1:2 group (after the initial transfusions, these patients got more than expected plasma and platelets based on INR/Plt counts)
  • TEG was used in the majority of the patients and TXA was used in a majority of patients (but similar in both groups)

How does this affect my practice?

A 1:1:1 transfusion practice is safe and can decrease mortality from hemorrhage in major trauma

Other points: control bleeding, permissive hypotension, avoid crystalloids, use TEG to guide therapy (TXA etc)

References

2015 Feb 3;313(5):471-82. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.12.

Transfusion of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells in a 1:1:1 vs a 1:1:2 ratio and mortality in patients with severe trauma: the PROPPR randomized clinical trial.