title: Fresh frozen plasma use in a tertiary referral hospital.
abstract: Hospital transfusion practice is directed towards the optimization of transfusion therapy. A fresh frozen plasma (FFP) usage audit was performed on 316 consecutive FFP units, transfused in 119 transfusion episodes to 75 patients (January-April 1992). All patients had coagulation tests before and after FFP administration; 76% of the coagulation tests were abnormal and of the 24% patients with normal coagulation tests 83% required a massive blood transfusion. Prophylactic to therapeutic and surgical (pre, intra, post) to medical use was 48%:52% and 56%:44%, respectively. From 1988 to 1992 there has been a 42% fall in the hospital's usage of FFP and the FFP to red cell usage is 1:10. In this audit four groups of patients received FFP appropriately for the following indications: coagulation factor deficiency (40%); acute reversal of anticoagulation therapy (19%); massive blood transfusion (27%) and complex medical problems including intensive plasmapheresis (12%). Only 2 patients received FFP (4 units) inappropriately. A total of 98.7% of the FFP units were considered appropriately transfused.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, New South Wales.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Au-Yeung
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iannella
mesh_terms: D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000075202:Contraindications; D003657:Decision Making; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D009517:New South Wales; D010949:Plasma; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012015:Reference Standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014600:Utilization Review