Red Blood Cell Transfusion and Postoperative Infection in Patients Having Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery: An Analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.

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Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common cardiac surgical procedure in the world and up to one-third of patients are transfused red blood cells (RBCs). RBC transfusion may increase the risk for health care-associated infection (HAI) after CABG, but previous studies have shown conflicting results and many did not establish exposure temporality. Our objective was to explore whether intraoperative RBC transfusion is associated with increased odds of postoperative HAI. We hypothesized that intraoperative RBC transfusion would be associated with increased odds of postoperative HAI.