Blood transfusion in GI bleeding
Oxford Gastroenterology together with the National Blood Service (Professor Mike Murphy) led the UK National audit on acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, who are now leading a national, cluster-randomised clinical trial (TrIGGer) comparing liberal and restrictive transfusion studies. (Please see trial website http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/trigger/). Work on the paradoxical outcome of transfuison in acute GI bleeding is the foundation for this trial (see publications). Allied to this are studies on platelet function (thromboelastography) in variceal bleeding and acute inflammatory conditions.