Guides to Inventory Levels for a Hospital Blood Bank Determined by Electronic Computer Simulation

Results of a previous study, in which some operations of a particular blood bank were simulated on an electronic computer, are used to obtain values that permit the establishment of inventory levels appropriate for critical ranges of mean uses and inputs. Though the initial data were collected from a single institution the results should be helpful to similar hospital blood banks. Tables are presented which give for various mean uses and inputs A) the number of days on which use is in excess of the amount of blood available, B) the number of units the bank cannot supply and C) the number of units expiring on the shelf when the bank is held at various inventory levels. An example shows how these tables may be used to determine an appropriate inventory level for a given blood type.