title: A survey of the use of blood and blood components among South African anaesthetists working in teaching hospitals.
abstract: A survey of the peri-operative policies for blood and blood component therapy was carried out among anaesthetists in the nine South African teaching hospitals. All anaesthetists completed the questionnaire, without recourse to books or discussion. The survey revealed a possible over-utilisation of blood and blood components in the peri-operative period. There were significant deficiencies in the pre-operative assessment of blood and platelet requirements and the specific indications for platelet, fresh frozen plasma and blood transfusions. A significant number of respondents exhibited poor knowledge of the potential dangers and expense that the use of blood and blood components entails. Educational effort was perceived to be the main method of rationalising the anaesthetist's usage of blood and blood components.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthetics, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Irving
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000592:standards*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000592:standards*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires