Development of anemia, phlebotomy practices andamp; blood transfusion requirements in cats | VETgirl Veterinary CE Podcasts

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we review a recent study titled Development of anemia, phlebotomy practices, and blood transfusion requirements in 45 critically ill cats. This study hypothesized that iatrogenic anemia occurs in hospitalized cats undergoing repeated venipuncture. This has been observed in people, especially critically ill children, and has been associated with the need for blood transfusions. Unfortunately, we know that transfusions can increase hospital cost to clients, risk of transfusion reactions, and risks of complications such as transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) or transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). Given that less is known about iatrogenic anemia in cats, the objectives of this study were to describe the incidence and development of anemia, to document phlebotomy practices and transfusion requirements in these cats, and to evaluate the association between these factors and duration of hospitalization and outcome in critically ill cats.