Blood Transfusion Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Blood Transfusion, including details on blood donation, blood types, leukemia.

Transfusion audit of fresh-frozen plasma in southern Taiwan.

Yeh CJ, Wu CF, Hsu WT, Hsieh LL, Lin SF, Liu TC

Blood Bank, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The demand for transfusions has increased rapidly in southern Taiwan. Between 1993 and 2003, requests for fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) in particular rose dramatically at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH). Transfusion orders were not tightly regulated, and inappropriate use of blood products was common. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out a prospective analysis of transfusion requests from October 2003 to January 2004 at KMUH, and then repeated the audit for another 3-month period after the clinical faculty had undergone five sessions of education on transfusion guidelines. Later, our consultant haematologist applied computerized guidelines to periodic audits. RESULTS: A 5.2% decrease in inappropriate FFP usage followed the educational programme and a further 30% reduction took place after the application of computerized transfusion guidelines. With the guidelines and periodic audits, FFP transfusions decreased by 74.6% and inappropriate requests from 65.2% to 30%. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital policy, computerized transfusion guidelines and periodic audits greatly reduced inappropriate FFP transfusions. An educational campaign had a more limited effect.

Published 8 September 2006 in Vox Sang, 91(3): 270-4.
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