Red cell concentrates and other blood products

The expenses of blood therapy make up approximately one third of all drug expenses in Finnish hospitals. In large hospitals (university hospitals, central hospitals and large municipal hospitals) more than half of the blood is used for surgical patients. In Turku University Central Hospital surgical blood therapy has been designed and developed with the close cooperation of the haematologists with clinicians. Since 1975 the principles of blood component therapy have been applied in surgery. The share of red cell concentrates has increased to 21.9% of all blood transfusions during the four-year period 1975-1978 but this development was not associated with a concomitant increase in the use of plasma products. The use of fresh blood had decreased markedly to 10.9% of all transfusions in 1978 and the use of platelet concentrates has been restricted to the therapy of thrombocytopenic patients with life threatening bleeding. The present day surgical blood therapy in Turku University Central Hospital can be considered appropriate - even though not yet ideal - from both medical and haematological and economical points of view.