Transfusions can be life saving. However, there are side effects of transfusion such as antibody production, hemolytic transfusion reactions, febrile and allergic reactions, transmission of infectious diseases and immunomodulation, to name just a few. Thus, transfusions should occur only when necessary.
Patient blood management is a multidisciplinary program designed to reduce the likelihood that a patient will need a transfusion.
It is more than blood utilization review where the ordering practices of physicians are reviewed and individual transfusions scrutinized to determine if the transfusion was justified. It is patient focused process of reducing and preventing anemia and reducing bleeding. By using an armamentarium of process changes, medications and strategic transfusion decisions, individualized care provides the patient with the minimum number of transfusions. Previously blood management focused on inventory and utilization review.
Nor is it bloodless medicine, where all transfusions are avoided.
This course reviews various methods that may be used in the implementation of a patient blood management program. No all of these practices will be used at every facility. Each facility will design their own implementation program based on their resources and strengths.
