Visual analytical tool for evaluation of 10-year perioperative transfusion practice at a children's hospital

Abstract

Children are a vulnerable population in the operating room, and are particularly at risk of complications from unanticipated hemorrhage. The decision to prepare blood products prior to surgery varies depending on the personal experience of the clinician caring for the patient. We present the first application of a data visualization technique to study large datasets in the context of blood product transfusions at a tertiary pediatric hospital. The visual analytical interface allows real-time interaction with datasets from 230 000 procedure records. Clinicians can use the visual analytical interface to analyze blood product usage based on procedure- and patient-specific factors, and then use that information to guide policies for ordering blood products.