Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Red Blood Cell Transfusion Thresholds and QOL in MDS (EnhanceRBC): a Pilot, Feasibility Study
Brief Summary: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are bone marrow malignancies characterized by poor bone marrow function that may progress to acute myeloid leukemia. Many patients become red blood cell transfusion-dependent. Transfusion dependence is associated with inferior quality of life (QOL). However, the relationship between the degree of anemia and QOL is less clear. A commonly used transfusion strategy is to target the hemoglobin (Hb) in the range of 80-90 g/L (normal hemoglobin \> 120-130g/L). The question is: would a higher hemoglobin target lead to improvement in QOL despite the negative impact transfusion dependence may have on QOL (due to associated time commitments, expense, transfusion reactions etc). Several groups have prospectively shown that targeting hemoglobin levels of greater than 120 g/L (with hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) and/or blood transfusions) or incremental increases of 15-20 g/L (with HGFs alone) were associated with improved QOL. The investigators MDS program has been conducting prospective assessments of QOL since 2007 in all registered and consented patients using a variety of validated questionnaires. Preliminary analysis (in 236 patients) revealed that, compared with an age-matched healthy general population, MDS patients have inferior QOL. Transfusion dependence and anemia were independently predictive of poor functioning, fatigue and decreased health utility. Furthermore, a hemoglobin level of ≥100 g/L seemed to be the key threshold for improvement in function and symptom scores. The investigators hypothesize that the target hemoglobins in transfusion dependent MDS patients are too low and this may account for their inferior quality of life. Our goal is to compare the effect on QOL of a restrictive strategy (which is the current standard of care), with a liberal transfusion strategy in a large randomized controlled trial of transfusion dependent MDS outpatients. Before embarking on such an endeavor, the investigators must first prove feasibility in a smaller pilot randomized controlled trial.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Has undergone surgical repair for a hip fracture
* Has a postoperative Hgb level below 10 g/dL within three days of surgery
* Diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (e.g., coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, stroke or transient ischemic attack, or peripheral vascular disease) or cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, tobacco use, or creatinine levels greater than 2.0 mg/dL)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unable to walk prior to hip fracture
* Declines blood transfusions
* Suffered multiple traumas
* Pathologic fracture of the hip due to malignancy
* Clinically recognized acute myocardial infarction within the 30 days prior to study entry
* Previously participated in the trial and fractured the other hip
* Symptoms associated with anemia (e.g., ischemic chest pain) or actively bleeding at the time of randomization
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* All patients with MDS ≥18 years of age
* Transfusion dependent: at least 1 transfusion per month in the last 8 weeks
* Hb \<100g/L pre transfusion
* Life expectancy \> 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unstable cardiac disease (Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) III/IV angina or New York Heart Association (NYHA) III/IV congestive heart failure) requiring the transfusion target range to remain \>85-100 g/L at all times
* ECOG ≥3
* Patients with red cell antibodies against high frequency antigens or multiple antibodies (would potentially delay finding blood)
* Patients on ESA's or disease modifying agents (like azacitidine) for their MDS
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18 or older
* Planned cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass
* Informed consent obtained
* Preoperative European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE I) of 6 or more

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients who are unable to receive or who refuse blood products
* Patients who are involved in a preoperative autologous pre-donation program
* Patients who are having a heart transplant or having surgery solely for an insertion of a ventricular assist device
* Pregnancy or lactation (a negative pregnancy test must be obtained prior to randomization for women of childbearing potential.)
* Patients who are unable to receive or who refuse blood products
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* 1. Hemoglobin concentration ≤ 95 g/L, while in PICU
* 2. Not already participating to a randomized controlled trial on hemoglobin threshold to guide red blood cell transfusion practice

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Post conception age ≤ 36 weeks or \> 18 years at PICU entry
2. Refusal of consent by patient and/or parent
3. Uncorrected cyanotic cardiac disease, univentricular physiology
4. Sickle cell disease
5. Brain Death
6. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

Answer: B