Should we believe in transfusion-associated enterocolitis? Applying a GRADE to the literature

Numerous observational studies appear to demonstrate an association between packed red blood cell (pRBC) transfusions and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). However, the limited numbers of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) do not support a causal relationship between pRBC transfusion and NEC. We sought to determine the quality of the evidence behind transfusion-associated necrotizing enterocolitis (TANEC), and to formulate a GRADE-based …