National Blood Donation and Blood Saving Program in Hungary. Further steps are required to improve patient safety

In the last decade, guidelines and trainings promoted haemostasis point-of-care tests, availability and application of factor products, while they led to a decrease in blood product consumption. The aim of this study is to examine protocols, conditions in terms of facilities, equipment, personnel of anaesthesia-intensive care units (A-ICU) to improve healthcare services and patient safety.

In 2019, self-reported questionnaires were sent in e-mail to A-ICUs. Application of guidelines and local protocols, education, haemostasis diagnostic tools, availability of allogeneic transfusion products, stable factor and drug products for restoring haemostasis were evaluated.

49% of A-ICUs filled out 46 questionnaires. 91.3% applied guidelines, 43.5% had local protocols. The lack of haemostasis and Patient Blood Management (PBM) trainings was indicated by 6 and 17 A-ICUs, respectively. Applying MAITT guidelines decreased red blood cell concentrate (RBC), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and thrombocyte consumption by 65.1%, 67.4% and 30.2%. The availability of laboratory and viscoelastic tests is limited except for blood count, INR, APTI, fibrinogen. Where viscoelastic tests were available, RBC 2.9, FFP 1.7, thrombocyte 2.5 times more physicians per A-ICU beds participated in haemostasis trainings. 32% of A-ICUs can provide the required amount of factor products in the case of massive bleeding.

Haemostasis and PBM trainings improve the quality of healthcare services if necessary equipment, factor and haemostasis drug products are provided. In order to promote PBM programmes and to improve patient safety, rearrangement of service and financing structure is needed, which must be accompanied by consulting perioperative professionals, general practitioners, and other related experts. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(37): 1606-1616.