Does washing blood for transfusion make a difference to preterm babies?
The WashT trial aims to work out if washing blood for transfusion affects problems related to preterm birth. The study will investigate the effect of transfusion with washed red blood cells (RBCs) compared with unwashed red blood cells to reduce morbidity and mortality in infants born less than 28 weeks gestation.
This trial is being led by the sponsor, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Australia. The trial has been recruiting participants in Australia since 2020 and aims to recruit a total of 1124 infants over a 7 year period. Recruitment is expected to last until 2027 with infants being recruited from 14 hospitals across Australia and the UK.
The NPEU Clinical Trials Unit is leading the set-up of the UK regulatory and ethical approvals for UK hospitals.
The study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australian Government).
For more information about the WashT trial please contact the Trial Coordinator, Tara Crawford at washt@sahmri.com
