Anaemia

Blood transfusions are an important treatment for severe anaemia. However, until the TRACT trial, there was little scientific evidence to guide doctors on how much blood to give children, or which children require it.

Using this Changing Policy and Practice award, Professor Sarah Walker and Dr Elizabeth George from University College London will disseminate the recommendations from the TRACT trial – including sharing a clinical management algorithm and training materials; raising awareness of the need for point-of-care haemoglobin tests; and communicating the findings to services, paediatricians and guideline developers. Ultimately, this could help to reduce child deaths from severe anaemia and preserve scarce blood supplies for those that really need it.