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Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on blood supply in two large university hospitals
Christian M Brieske1, Christian Temme1, Jens Hiller2
1Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany.
Insights
During the COVID-19 pandemic, elective surgery cancellations did not significantly reduce the demand for blood transfusions in university hospitals. This highlights the need for better blood product management and allocation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Transfusion Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted transfusion medicine services globally.
- Cancellation of elective surgeries was implemented to conserve resources for COVID-19 patients and prevent blood product shortages.
- University hospitals faced unprecedented challenges in managing blood supply and demand.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of reduced elective procedures on blood donation and transfusion needs.
- To analyze the relationship between decreased surgical activity and blood product utilization during the initial COVID-19 phase.
- To assess the demand for blood products in university hospitals amidst pandemic-related changes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of data from two major German university hospitals (Essen and Hamburg).
- Data collection spanned 26 weeks from February 3, 2020, to August 2, 2020, covering the first pandemic wave.
- Comparison of crossmatches, blood typing, blood usage, and case mix indices with the same period in the prior year (2019).
Main Results:
- A significant decrease in requests for crossmatches and blood typing was observed post-elective procedure cessation.
- The reduction in blood transfusions required was less pronounced than the decrease in procedures.
- While inpatient and outpatient cases declined significantly, the number of cases requiring transfusion saw only a marginal decrease.
Conclusions:
- Transfusion medicine services, particularly in large institutions, maintained a high demand for donated blood during the early pandemic.
- This sustained demand necessitates careful consideration for personnel and blood donation allocations.
- A real-time monitoring system for blood product availability was developed to optimize the use of this critical resource.
Objective:
This study aimed to examine the relationship between the decrease in elective procedures and the need for blood donation during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic at university hospitals.
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely impacted transfusion medicine. By cancelling elective surgery, the German government hoped to increase the available resources for patients infected with COVID-19, especially in intensive care units, and prevent the shortage of blood products.
Methods/Materials:
Over 26 weeks, from the 3rd of February 2020 to the 2nd of August 2020, during the first phase of the pandemic, we assessed the number of crossmatches, blood group typing, use of donated blood, and case mix indices by retrospectively analysing data from two major university hospitals' information systems in Essen and Hamburg, Germany. Data were pooled, analysed, and compared with that of the same period in the previous year.
Results:
Following the cessation of elective procedures, the number of requests for crossmatches and blood group typing significantly decreased in 2020 compared to that in 2019. However, the number of blood transfusions required was reduced to a lesser extent. The number of outpatient and inpatient cases significantly decreased, whereas the cases requiring transfusion decreased only.
Conclusion:
During the initial phase of the pandemic, transfusion medicine, especially in large institutions, faced an almost unchanged high demand for donated blood. This should be considered regarding personnel and blood donation allocations. Therefore, we developed a monitoring system to display the availability of blood products in real-time. The quick and easy display of in-stock and expiring blood products can optimise the use of this valuable resource.
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