• Sarah Alghamdi, Betzabel Gonzalez, Lydia Howard, Simon Zeichner, Angelo LaPietra, Gerald Rosen, Guillermo Garcia, Joseph Lamelas, and Robert Goldszer.
• From the Departments of Pathology, sarah.alghamdi@msmc.com.
• Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 2014 Jun 1; 141 (6): 892-5.

ObjectivesThe Blood Utilization Committee implemented a standardized protocol for the preoperative blood order for cardiac patients. The aim of our study was to assess the improvement in blood utilization using the crossmatch to transfusion ratio (C:T).MethodsFour months of retrospective data were collected, which included all RBC crossmatch requests and all RBC units transfused. Similar data were gathered for the period of the intervention. The difference in C:T was calculated.ResultsThe retrospective group had 166 patients for whom blood products were ordered. There were 560 crossmatch requests and 237 transfused RBC units with a C:T of 2.36. The prospective group had 127 patients with 297 crossmatch requests, 190 transfused units, and a C:T of 1.56. There was a statistically significant difference in the C:T. The cost difference was $12,244.00.ConclusionsImplementing exact guidelines, with the introduction of a type-and-screen concept, allowed more efficient blood usage.Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

19 keywords...

hide…