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Perioperative blood transfusion: a plea for guidelines

Publication Type : Journal Article

Thematic Areas : Medical Sciences

Publisher : Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of Surgeons of England,

Source : Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Volume 79, Issue 4, p.299 - 302 (1997)

Url : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9244078

Keywords : *Health Services Misuse, *Practice Guidelines as Topic, adult, aged, Aged, 80 and over, Blood Transfusion/*standards, Elective Surgical Procedures, England, female, Humans, male, medical audit, middle aged, postoperative care, Prospective Studies, Surgical Procedures, Operative/standards

Campus : Kochi

School : School of Medicine

Department : Gastrointestinal Surgery

Year : 1997

Abstract : Red blood cells are still transfused inappropriately in spite of recent media attention and public awareness about the risks of blood products. A prospective audit was conducted to determine the avoidable blood transfusion rates in the elective perioperative setting utilising the guidelines issued by the American College of Physicians (ACP). Of 82 consecutive adult patients who were admitted for major elective surgery over a 3-month period, 28 were transfused a total of 94 units of homologous SAG-M blood, of which 50 (53%) were inappropriate as recommended by the ACP guidelines. Violations of the guidelines were perioperative transfusion in bleeding patients who were haemodynamically stable (31%) and transfusion in asymptomatic, stable patients solely to attain a haemoglobin level above 10 g% (22%). There is a need for objective, easily adaptable and widely disseminated consensus guidelines to the indications for red blood cell transfusion.

Cite this Research Publication : Dr. Sudhindran S., “Perioperative blood transfusion: a plea for guidelines”, Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, vol. 79, no. 4, pp. 299 - 302, 1997.

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