The Trauma- Formula-Driven Versus Lab-Guided Study (TRFL Study)

NCT ID: NCT00945542

Last Updated: 2011-12-02

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1/PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 70 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2009-07-31
• Study Completion Date: 2011-12-31

Brief Summary

Background: Bleeding and coagulopathy still accounts for the majority of early in-hospital deaths following trauma. There have been lately several published studies suggesting that higher transfusion ratios of fresh frozen plasma (FFP), platelets (PTL) and cryoprecipitate (CRYO) to red blood cell (RBC) are associated with survival advantages. However, the evidence comes from retrospective data limited by a significant number of unaddressed confounders. In addition, the use of blood products bears known and important risks of complications.

Hypothesis: The adoption of a formula-driven transfusion practice with pre-defined ratios of FFP to PTL to RBC transfusion (1:1:1) is feasible and superior to current laboratory-guided transfusion practice in treating and/or preventing early coagulopathy improving survival rates in massively bleeding trauma patients .

Objective: To exam the feasibility of implementing a pre-defined ratio of FFP to PTL to RBC (1:1:1) transfusion protocol and its impact on a population of bleeding trauma patients.

Design: A two-year pilot feasibility randomized control trial at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Randomization: 70 patients are expected to be randomized to lab-driven or to formula-driven massive transfusion protocol and followed-up to 28 days or hospital discharge.

Study outcomes: protocol violation; in-hospital mortality by exsanguination; death at 28 days; coagulation competence defined by current standard coagulation tests (INR & PTT < 1.5 times normal; PTL ≥ 50 and Fibrinogen ≥ 1.0) or clotting factor levels ≥ 30%; correlation of current standard coagulation tests with clotting factors levels; cessation of bleeding; incidence of ALI, sepsis, MOF, transfusion-related circulatory overload, transfusion reactions; Ventilator-free days; ICU & Hospital LOS; thromboembolic events.

Intervention protocol: Transfusion of pre-defined ratios of FFP and PTL to RBC (1:1:1) (formula-driven) for the first 12h of hospitalization without coagulation tests guidance while patient is hemorrhaging or before if bleeding stops.

Statistical analysis: protocol compliance rate and in-hospital mortality rates within 24h and at 28 days will be assessed using Chi-square test. ROC analysis will be used to analyze coagulation competence.

Main expected outcomes: implementation of a formula-driven transfusion protocol is feasible and coagulation competence will be achieved faster and more efficiently in the study group.

Conditions

Hemorrhagic Shock; Trauma Coagulopathy

Keywords

Trauma; Coagulopathy; Transfusion; Plasma; Massive Transfusion

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Standard of care

Patients randomized to this arm will be treated as per Sunnybrook's current standard of care massive transfusion protocol. Crystalloid and red cell transfusions are performed to maintain volume status, and to maintain haemoglobin levels above 70 g/L. FFP is transfused based in 3-4 unit aliquots, for INR\>1.5. Platelets are transfused 1 pool at a time (4 units Buffy coat platelets) to maintain platelet counts above 50 x 109/mL. Cryoprecipitate is transfused 8-12 units at a time to keep fibrinogen above 0.8 gram/L.

Group Type: OTHER

Standard of care

Intervention Type: OTHER

Patients randomized to this arm will be treated as per Sunnybrook's current standard of care massive transfusion protocol. Crystalloid and red cell transfusions are performed to maintain volume status, and to maintain haemoglobin levels above 70 g/L. FFP is transfused based in 3-4 unit aliquots, for INR\>1.5. Platelets are transfused 1 pool at a time (4 units Buffy coat platelets) to maintain platelet counts above 50 x 109/mL. Cryoprecipitate is transfused 8-12 units at a time to keep fibrinogen above 0.8 gram/L.

Preemptive transfusion

Patients randomized to this arm will be transfused based on a pre-defined massive transfusion protocol. Blood bank will release blood a pre-defined packages. Blood will be received in aliquots containing 4 units off FFP, 1 pool of buffy coat platelet (4 units) and 4 units of RBC. This corresponds to an FFP:RBC transfusion ratio of 1:1.

Patients randomized to the study protocol will be receiving the FFP and PTL at pre-defined ratios to RBC (1:1:1) up to 12h of hospitalization or earlier if cessation of the massive transfusion requested at the discretion of the treating physicians.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Massive transfusion protocol

Intervention Type: OTHER

Patients randomized to this arm will be transfused based on a pre-defined massive transfusion protocol. Blood bank will release blood a pre-defined packages. Blood will be received in aliquots containing 4 units off FFP, 1 pool of buffy coat platelet (4 units) and 4 units of RBC. As discussed previously, this would correspond to an FFP:RBC transfusion ratio of 1:1.

Patients randomized to the study protocol will be receiving the FFP and PTL at pre-defined ratios to RBC (1:1:1) up to 12h of hospitalization or earlier if cessation of the massive transfusion requested at the discretion of the treating physicians.

Interventions

Massive transfusion protocol

Patients randomized to this arm will be transfused based on a pre-defined massive transfusion protocol. Blood bank will release blood a pre-defined packages. Blood will be received in aliquots containing 4 units off FFP, 1 pool of buffy coat platelet (4 units) and 4 units of RBC. As discussed previously, this would correspond to an FFP:RBC transfusion ratio of 1:1.

Patients randomized to the study protocol will be receiving the FFP and PTL at pre-defined ratios to RBC (1:1:1) up to 12h of hospitalization or earlier if cessation of the massive transfusion requested at the discretion of the treating physicians.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Standard of care

Patients randomized to this arm will be treated as per Sunnybrook's current standard of care massive transfusion protocol. Crystalloid and red cell transfusions are performed to maintain volume status, and to maintain haemoglobin levels above 70 g/L. FFP is transfused based in 3-4 unit aliquots, for INR\>1.5. Platelets are transfused 1 pool at a time (4 units Buffy coat platelets) to maintain platelet counts above 50 x 109/mL. Cryoprecipitate is transfused 8-12 units at a time to keep fibrinogen above 0.8 gram/L.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Early and aggressive FFP transfusion; 1:1, FFP:RBC transfusion; Damage Control Resuscitation; Hemostatic Resuscitation; Early use of FFP

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Patients were eligible for this study if they:

i) were adult trauma patients assessed by the trauma team; and ii) suffered either penetrating or blunt mechanism of injury; and

1. were bleeding and expected to require massive transfusion (either 4 units within the next 2 hours or ≥ 10 units of RBC in 24 h) or required transfusion of un-cross matched emergency stock red blood cells; and

2. had an episode of hypotension (systolic bp ≤ 90mmHg).

Exclusion Criteria

Patients were excluded if:

i) they were assessed in the trauma room more than six hours after injury; or ii) they received more than two units of RBC transfusion prior to arrival; or iii) they had suffered a concomitant severe brain injury (defined as any of the following: Glasgow Coma Scale of 3 due to severe traumatic brain injury; clear indication of immediate neurosurgical intervention based on clinical findings, mechanism of trauma associated with focal signs (anisocoria, CT evidence of intracranial bleeding with mass effect); or iv) they had evidence of having a catastrophic head injury (such as transcranial gunshot wound, open skull fracture with exposure/loss of brain tissue, or expert opinion by either the trauma team leader or neurosurgical consultant based on initial clinical or initial CT findings); or v) they had evidence that their shock state was unrelated to hemorrhage (ie cardiogenic, septic, anaphylactic, acute adrenal insufficiency, neurogenic, or obstructive (cardiac tamponade, tension pneumothorax and massive pulmonary emboli); or vi) they had a known hereditary or acquired coagulopathy unrelated to the trauma resuscitation (for example: hemophilia, hepatic insufficiency, or anti-coagulant medications); or vii) they were moribund with evidence of unsalvageable injuries.

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Canadian Department of National Defense

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Canadian Blood Services

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Blood Foundation

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Dr. Jeannie Callum

Transfusion Medicine Specialist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Sandro B Rizoli, MD PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Gordon D Rubenfeld, MD, MSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Homer C Tien, MD, MSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Locations

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Countries

Canada

References

Nascimento B, Callum J, Tien H, Rubenfeld G, Pinto R, Lin Y, Rizoli S. Effect of a fixed-ratio (1:1:1) transfusion protocol versus laboratory-results-guided transfusion in patients with severe trauma: a randomized feasibility trial. CMAJ. 2013 Sep 3;185(12):E583-9. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.121986. Epub 2013 Jul 15.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 23857856 (View on PubMed)

Nascimento B, Rizoli S, Rubenfeld G, Lin Y, Callum J, Tien HC. Design and preliminary results of a pilot randomized controlled trial on a 1:1:1 transfusion strategy: the trauma formula-driven versus laboratory-guided study. J Trauma. 2011 Nov;71(5 Suppl 1):S418-26. doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e318232e591.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 22071998 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

461-2008

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id