Blood Administration

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the principles of safe blood transfusion practices. The aim of this chapter is to develop and support the knowledge of health-care professionals involved in prescribing and administering blood components and products. Several standards and guidelines define the minimum criteria required to maintain safety and enhance transfusion practices. These include the Canadian Standard Association’s CAN/CSA-Z902-15 - Blood and Blood Components1 , the Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine (CSTM) Standards for Hospital Transfusion Services2 , Health Canada’s Guidance Document: Blood Regulations3 , the AABB Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services4 and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Transfusion Medicine Accreditation Checklist.5 These standards and guidelines establish the criteria for practices that support health- care providers, specifically the transfusion service, in defining the quality system requirements necessary for continuous improvement. Each health-care facility’s policies and procedures must include mechanisms to ensure ongoing training and competency assessment of the theoretical and practical knowledge of all staff involved in the transfusion process, including the clinical decision to transfuse.