Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue
-
Moderate to severe iron deficiency anaemia is a common finding in patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED). According to Patient Blood Management principles, intravenous iron should be the therapy of choice instead of blood transfusion for selected cases affected by chronic iron deficiency anaemia. However, this option is only rarely taken into account by physicians in the ED. As a result, in many circumstances, treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in the ED can differ from that of the Anaemia Clinic. With the aim of reducing inappropriate transfusions, and to implement intravenous iron usage, we shared a specific protocol with the ED. ⋯ The implementation of Patient Blood Management principles and early intravenous iron therapy in the Emergency Department have proved to be effective tools to optimise resources both in terms of units transfused and costs.