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Implementation of a patient blood management monitoring and feedback program significantly reduces transfusions and costs
Author(s) -
Mehra Tarun,
Seifert Burkhardt,
BravoReiter Silvina,
Wanner Guido,
Dutkowski Philipp,
Holubec Tomas,
Moos Rudolf M.,
Volbracht Jörk,
Manz Markus G.,
Spahn Donat R.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1111/trf.13260
Subject(s) - medicine , blood product , confidence interval , odds ratio , blood management , blood transfusion , blood bank , emergency medicine , prospective cohort study , surgery
BACKGROUND Patient blood management (PBM) measures have been shown to be effective in reducing transfusions while maintaining patient outcome. The issuance of transfusion guidelines is seen as being key to the success of PBM programs. As the introduction of guidelines alone did not visibly reduce transfusions in our center, a monitoring and feedback program was established. The aim of our study was to show the effectiveness of such measures in reducing transfusions and cost. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS We designed a prospective, interventional cohort study with a 3‐year time frame (January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014). In total, 101,794 patients aged 18 years or older were included. The PBM monitoring and feedback program was introduced on January 1, 2014, with the subsequent issuance of quarterly reporting. RESULTS Within the first year of introduction, transfusion of all allogeneic blood products per 1000 patients was reduced by 27% (red blood cell units, −24%; platelet units, −25%; and fresh‐frozen plasma units, −37%; all p < 0.001) leading to direct allogeneic blood product related savings of more than 2 million USD. The number of blood products transfused per case was significantly reduced from 9 ± 19 to 7 ± 14 (p < 0.001). With an odds ratio of 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.82‐0.91), the introduction of our PBM monitoring and feedback program was a significant independent factor in the reduction of transfusion probability (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Our PBM monitoring and feedback program was highly efficacious in reducing the transfusion of allogeneic blood products and transfusion‐related costs.