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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

A New Hybrid Quantitative Evaluation Model for Axillary Junctional Hemorrhage in Swine

A New Hybrid Quantitative Evaluation Model for Axillary Junctional Hemorrhage in Swine

Published on: December 6, 2024

Blood wastage reduction using Lean Sigma methodology.

Eugenie S Heitmiller¹, Richard B Hill, Christi E Marshall

¹Division of Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, the Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. eheitmi1@jhmi.edu

|May 12, 2010

Summary

Implementing Lean Sigma methodology significantly reduced hospital red blood cell (RBC) wastage by over 50%, saving substantial costs and improving blood product management.

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Area of Science:

Healthcare Management
Transfusion Medicine
Process Improvement

Background:

Hospital red blood cell (RBC) wastage rates range from 0.1% to 6.7%, with a specific institution reporting 4.4% wastage.
A significant portion of wastage stemmed from units dispensed but not administered or temperature-related issues with transport containers.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effectiveness of Lean Sigma methodology in reducing RBC product wastage.
To decrease RBC wastage by 50% through targeted interventions.

Main Methods:

An interdisciplinary team applied the five-part Lean Sigma process (define, measure, analyze, improve, control).
Focused interventions on container wastage and staff training regarding RBC handling and temperature monitoring.

Main Results:

RBC wastage was reduced from 4.4% to a sustained rate below 2%.
This reduction prevented approximately 4300 RBC units from being wasted annually.
The study yielded savings of approximately $800,000 over four years.

Conclusions:

Lean Sigma methodology proved effective in significantly reducing RBC wastage in a large academic hospital setting.
Addressing staff awareness, training, and temperature management protocols are key to minimizing blood product waste.