Replication Data for: Informing thresholds for paediatric transfusion in Africa: the need for a trial

The study associated with this dataset was conducted on the paediatric wards at Kilifi County Hospital (KCH), a rural district hospital on the coast of Kenya, where a system of routine surveillance has been operated by the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme since 1989. All children <15 years of age who are admitted to KCH are assessed by a clinician who enters their data directly into a computerized database. Clinical variables included those indicating severity (respiratory distress and impaired consciousness); key co-morbidities, including bacteraemia, malarial parasitaemia and nutritional and HIV status, receipt of a whole blood transfusion during admission and discharge status (alive or dead). All patients were investigated with a standard set of laboratory tests including a full blood count, a blood culture and a blood film for malarial parasites. Blood transfusion policy at KCH follows WHO guidelines.