Credit: Original article published here.According to Jake Hunnicutt, PhD, and colleagues, there are few data on the use of red blood cell transfusion among patients with anemia and nondialysis dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the United States. Data on how the rates of red blood cell transfusion vary by hemoglobin level are also limited. During a poster session at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings 2023, the researchers presented data on the rate of red blood cell transfusions and associated complications from 2017 to 2019. The poster was titled Red Blood Cell (RBC) Transfusion Use Varies by Baseline Hemoglobin (Hb) and Is Associated With Posttransfusion Hyperkalemia and Hospitalization Within 30 Days in US Patients With Stage 3-5 CKD and Anemia. The retrospective cohort study utilized Optum’s deidentified Integrated Claims-Clinical dataset. Inclusion criteria were hemoglobin measure (index date), prior evidence of stage 3-5 CKD, and anemia (defined as treatment for anemia or baseline hemoglobin <12 g/dL for women or <13 g/dL for men). Analyses were stratified by insurance type (commercial or Medicare Advantage [MA]). Associations between baseline hemoglobin and red blood cell transfusion events within 6 months were quantified using estimated adjusted rate ratios (aRR) and 95% CIs. Claims