Effectiveness of blood utilization across departments in a tertiary health institution

Abstract

Introduction: The limited availability of blood makes it imperative that hospitals and transfusion centers employ blood utilization indicators to ensure effective and efficient use. This study is a review of the transfusion practices and blood utilization indicators in the largest tertiary health center in South East Nigeria. Material and methods: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional hospital-based type. Bio-demographic data, clinical diagnosis, and blood bank information such as patient and donor blood types from a 3-year period (January 2018 to January 2021) was reviewed. The total number of units crossmatched, issued, transfused, or returned was extracted. Utilization indicators such as crossmatch-to-transfusion ratio (C/T ratio), transfusion probability (TP), and transfusion index (TI) were calculated, and our findings were compared to those of similar studies performed in centers in India, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 2,919 blood units were cross-matched, of which 2,212 units were transfused to 1,953 patients. The study reported an overall C/T ratio of 1.3, a TP of 71%, and a TI of 1.1. These figures compare favorably with findings reported from studies done in other low and middle income countries. The department of medicine, with a C/T ratio of 1.1, had the most efficient blood ordering practices. Conclusion: Our study shows that the quality indicators on the utilization of blood in our tertiary health institution are in keeping with international best practice. The implementation of policies like the maximum surgical blood ordering schedule could further strengthen the practice and improve the results of the surgical disciplines.