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Pattern of blood procurement, ordering and utilization in a University Hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia
1Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, King Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Insights
This study reviewed blood bank practices, finding high rates of discarded blood due to non-infectious causes and cancellations. Implementing type and screen policies can improve blood utilization and reduce waste.
Area of Science:
- Transfusion Medicine
- Blood Banking Operations
- Public Health
Background:
- Blood transfusion services are critical for patient care.
- Optimizing blood procurement, utilization, and waste reduction is essential for efficiency and safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze blood procurement, ordering, utilization, and discard reasons in a university hospital.
- To identify disease marker seropositivity in blood donors.
- To provide recommendations for improving blood transfusion services.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective 5-year analysis (January 1996 - December 2000).
- Data collected from King Fahad Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
- Review of blood bank statistics and donor screening results.
Main Results:
- Replacement donors (46%) and statutory donors (35%) were most common; volunteer donors were 19%.
- High crossmatch transfusion ratio (2.96:1) and cancelled transfusions (66.2%).
- Hepatitis B core antibody (16.9%) and expired units (3.6%) were key discard reasons.
Conclusions:
- Internal audits and statistical reviews are vital for blood transfusion services.
- Policies like type and screen and maximum surgical blood ordering schedules improve efficiency and reduce costs.
- Enhancing volunteer blood donor drives is recommended.
Objective:
The main objectives of this study were to review blood procurement, ordering, utilization, and causes of discarding blood in a University hospital and provide recommendations for improvement. The study was also aimed at sheding light on the frequency of seropositivity for certain disease markers in blood donors.
Methods:
This review comprised a retrospective 5-year analysis from January 1996 to December 2000 at King Fahad Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Results:
In this study, the most common donors were replacement (46%) and statutory donors (35%), while volunteer blood donors comprised a lower percentage (19%). There was a high crossmatch transfusion ratio (2.96:1) and similarly a high percentage of cancelled transfusions after crossmatching (66.2%). The 2 most commonly ordered blood components were packed red blood cells (45.7%) and random platelet concentrates (19.2%). The infective causes for discarding blood were: hepatitis B core antibody seropositivity (16.9%), hepatitis B surface antigen seropositivity (2.4%) followed by hepatitis C antibody seropositivity (1.5%), and rapid plasma reagin (serological test for syphilis) positivity (1%). The common non-infective causes of discarding blood in descending order or frequency were: expired unit shelf life (3.6%), positive donor antibody screen (0.7%), red blood cell morphological abnormalities (0.4%), and blood unit insufficient quantity (0.3%). Release of emergency uncrossmatched blood ranged at 0.6% during the study period.
Conclusion:
Performing blood bank internal audits and reviewing statistics are vital tools for a successful blood transfusion service. Implementing policies such as type and screen and the maximum surgical blood-ordering schedules will lead to monetary savings and more effective blood utilization. Drives for enhancement of volunteer blood donors are recommended.