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Review
. 2019 Apr;35(2):277-287.
doi: 10.1016/j.ccc.2018.11.015. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Erythropoietin in Critical Illness and Trauma

Craig French  1
Affiliations
Review

Erythropoietin in Critical Illness and Trauma

Craig French. Crit Care Clin. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a 34kD pleiotropic cytokine that was first identified as being essential for red blood cell (RBC) production. It is now recognized however that EPO is produced by many tissues. It plays a key role in the modulation of the response to injury, inflammation, and tissue hypoxia via the inhibition of apoptosis. Large clinical trials in the critically ill failed to demonstrate a role for EPO as an RBC transfusion sparing agent; however, improved clinical outcomes, attributable to EPO role in tissue protection are observed in critically ill trauma patients. Further research to confirm or refute these observations is required.

Keywords: Critical illness; Erythropoietin; Red blood cell transfusion; Trauma.

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