Transfusion Therapy in Pregnant Patients with Sickle-Cell Disease: A National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference

Excerpt

Four consensus groups met in Bethesda, Maryland, on 23 and 24 April 1979 to consider whether there is sufficient evidence about prophylactic transfusion therapy to advocate its use for treatment of pregnant patients with sickle-cell disease. The work groups focused on four subject areas: need for further research, clinical research approaches, perinatal considerations, and sociomedical issues. Each group developed conclusions on its own subject.

Work Group I: Need for Further Research Further research in transfusion therapy for pregnant patients with sickle-cell disease is needed, but the question must be approached systematically.

In transfusion therapy, pregnant patients with sickle-cell disease are