Background and Objectives
We assessed whether allogeneic blood transfusions were associated with infection—within 90 days—after surgery for bone metastatic disease. Furthermore, we assessed other risk factors associated with infection.
Methods
We included 1,266 patients surgically treated for a bone metastasis at two hospitals between 2002 and 2013. Blood transfusions within 7 days before and after surgery were considered perioperative.
Results
We found no independent association between exposure to blood transfusion and infection (odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76–1.37, P = 0.889), nor a dose–response relationship (OR 1.02, 95%CI: 0.98–1.07, P = 0.245). Older age (OR 1.01, 95%CI: 1.00–1.02, P = 0.035), a higher modified Charlson comorbidity index (OR 1.13, 95%CI: 1.05–1.22, P = 0.002), surgery to the axial skeleton (OR 1.89, 95%CI: 1.42–2.51, P < 0.001), and previous radiotherapy (OR 1.45, 95%CI 1.07–1.96, P = 0.015) were independently associated with infection.
Conclusions
There was no association between allogeneic blood transfusion and infection. We found other risk factors that should be taken into consideration when deciding to operate. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:997–1003. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.