Standardized Calcium Replacement in Massive Transfusion: A Quality Improvement Project

Hypocalcemia is common in trauma patients receiving massive transfusion protocol and often leads to worsening coagulopathies. Despite the identified problem and recommendations for replacement, few institutions have implemented a standardized calcium replacement protocol.

This study aims to assess whether a revised massive transfusion protocol, including standardized calcium replacement, increases the incidence of calcium administration in trauma patients receiving massive transfusion protocol.

This quality improvement project used a retrospective pre-/postdesign to study the revision of the current facility's massive transfusion protocol to include calcium replacement and ionized calcium monitoring at an urban Level I academic trauma center. Pre- and postintervention data were collected from January 2022 through October 2022 to determine the number of times massive transfusion protocol was ordered, ionized calcium monitoring, and calcium administration rates. Feedback regarding the protocol was collected throughout the monitoring period and was utilized in the final analysis.

A total of 40 patients received massive transfusion protocol, preintervention, 18 of 23 (78%) received calcium supplementation, postintervention, 15 of 16 (98%) were treated. The majority of protocol activations occurred in the trauma bay (79%) and postintervention; ionized calcium monitoring dropped by 14%.

This study found that the addition of standardized calcium replacement improved administration rates of calcium in this patient population. Ongoing research will ensure the recommended changes improve the identified shortcomings and that patients maintain adequate ionized calcium levels with the current dosing parameters.