Overview of blood transfusion appropriateness with one-day point prevalence: Right decision? Right product? Right...

Blood and blood products are a scarce resource and thus, they should be used efficiently. Inappropriate use of blood leads not only to waste of valuable medical resource, but also increases the risks of blood transfusion and economic burden.

This study is a prospective, observational one-day single-center point prevalence study in which transfusion activities performed in our hospital. It was aimed to determine the prevalence of patients receiving blood products in hospitals, types of blood products, characteristics of recipients, distributions of blood group, appropriateness of blood transfusion and the cost of these products, using the one-day standardized prevalence method for the first time in our country.

One hundred seventy blood transfusions were performed in 102 patients. It was found that 64 (37.6%) of 170 blood products used according to the guidelines were non-evidence-based and inappropriate blood transfusions. It was established that the frequency of inappropriate use of blood products was significantly higher in surgical divisions (n=31 48.4%) compared to internal medicine divisions (n=20, 31.3%) (p<0.0001). The amount corresponding to 64 (37.6%) units transfused inappropriately according to the guidelines was found for one day. When we estimated the results of this study at the level of yearly use of blood products, we found that transfusion of approximately 28 000 units of blood products was being performed yearly in our hospital and a total of 8.435.006 TL/281.166 USD was being spent yearly considering 10 523 units were being transfused inappropriately.

This study shows that the condition in our country is only the tip of the iceberg. Examination of the indications for use of blood products by transfusion committees in hospitals and generalizing use of national guidelines could be the primary applications to prevent inappropriate use of blood products.