Pre-procedural platelet transfusion thresholds in hospitalised children - Protocol for a scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Thrombocytopenia is a common condition in hospitalised critically ill children and most platelet transfusions are given as prophylaxis to non-bleeding children prior to invasive procedures such as central venous catheterisation and lumbar puncture. Platelet transfusion may reduce bleeding complications but have also been associated with potential adverse effects and variation in clinical practice exist. To direct future research, we aim to assess the current evidence regarding prophylactic platelet transfusion prior to procedures in hospitalised thrombocytopenic children.

METHODS

We will conduct a scoping review of all study designs in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. We will include studies on hospitalised children undergoing invasive procedures where the prevalence of thrombocytopenia and the predefined outcome measures, including bleeding, transfusion-related adverse events and use of blood products and life support are reported. We will provide descriptive analyses of the included studies/trials and the quality of evidence will be assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

CONCLUSION

The outlined scoping review will provide an overview on the benefits and harms of prophylactic platelet transfusion prior to invasive procedures in thrombocytopenic hospitalised children.