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Evaluating the Importance of Patient Blood Management During COVID-19 Pandemic
1Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic reduced blood donations and stocks. Implementing patient blood management (PBM) principles can optimize blood use and preserve vital supplies for critical patients.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Public Health
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare systems, leading to decreased demand for blood products due to postponed surgeries.
- Blood transfusion services faced challenges, including reduced donor numbers and lower blood stocks, stemming from fear of infection, misinformation, and logistical constraints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical challenges faced by blood transfusion services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To emphasize the importance of patient blood management (PBM) as a strategy to mitigate blood shortages and optimize blood product utilization.
Main Methods:
- Reviewing the impact of the pandemic on blood donation and transfusion services.
- Analyzing the principles and benefits of patient blood management (PBM) in crisis situations.
- Examining recommendations from health systems regarding PBM implementation.
Main Results:
- The pandemic led to a decline in blood donations and availability, straining blood supply chains.
- Patient blood management (PBM) emerged as a crucial strategy to conserve blood products by minimizing unnecessary transfusions.
- PBM focuses on optimizing patient care by addressing factors like anemia, blood loss, and coagulation disorders.
Conclusions:
- Patient blood management (PBM) is essential for maintaining adequate blood supply during health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Implementing PBM principles helps ensure that blood products are available for patients with the most urgent needs.
- Widespread adoption of PBM recommendations by health systems is crucial for resilient blood transfusion services.
Abstract:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for blood products may decrease as the health care system shifts toward treating the increased number of patients afflicted with COVID-19 and delaying selective surgeries and emergency procedures. One of the most important problems for blood transfusion services during COVID-19 pandemic is the reduction in the number of donors and a decrease in blood stocks. This happens due to the limitations of attendance of donors in blood centers, lack of awareness, misinformation, fear of being infected while donating blood, and restricting the freedom of blood collection teams to attend public places. Blood transfusion services should be prepared and well-responded in a timely manner. In this regard, appropriate use of blood, diminishing unnecessary transfusions, and implementation of patient blood management (PBM) principles are considered as significant measurements. PBM can help maintain blood supply throughout the crisis and reduce the pressure on blood demand. As a result, blood products can be saved for patients who need it urgently. PBM focuses on the patient, as well as the conditions that make patients transfuse blood, such as blood loss, coagulopathy, platelet dysfunction, and anemia. Thus, the majority of health systems in different countries have made recommendations to the PBM in hospitals.
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