Clinical Guideline Review
American Society of Hematology 2020 Guidelines for Sickle Cell Disease: Transfusion Support
Author(s): Stella T. Chou, Mouaz Alsawas, Ross M. Fasano, Joshua J. Field, Jeanne E. Hendrickson, Jo Howard, Michelle Kameka,
Janet L. Kwiatkowski, France Pirenne, Patricia A. Shi, Sean R. Stowell, Swee Lay Thein, Connie M. Westhoff, Trisha E. Wong, and Elie A. Akl
DATE OF PUBLICATION: JANUARY 2020 | DATE OF REVIEW: JULY 30, 2020
Citation: Blood Advances 28 January 2020 Volume 4, Number 2, 327-355
Method of Review: A subcommittee of the Evidence-Based Practice and Research Committee of the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses conducted a group review of the clinical recommendations using the AGREE II criteria1. The committee had an overall assessment of approval for endorsement.
Review Summary: These are high-quality guidelines that followed the most recent methods to search and appraise evidence. The recommendations are clear; they include some limitations. Despite not being exclusive for the pediatric population, a significant part of the evidence considered were studies that enrolled children—besides, some members of the panel work in Pediatrics. The recommendations may not directly cover nursing practice. The only reservation is that they are almost all suggested recommendations with low certainty evidence. Despite the lack of evidence, the guidelines are valuable for the care of SCD patients because these patients are vulnerable to frequent transfusion-related complications. As suggested by the authors, some adaptations might be considered, such as the reality of a specific clinical setting, local resources, institutional policies, and the availability of treatments.
Recommendation for Use: Recommend for endorsement.
1AGREE Next Steps Consortium (2009). The AGREE II Instrument [Electronic version]. Retrieved May 2018, from www.agreetrust.org