[Adequacy of blood component transfusion according to previously established criteria].
OBJECTIVE
Transfusion is not devoid of adverse effects; therefore every transfusional procedure must be indicated correctly. With this in mind in 1991 transfusion guidelines were published by our Hospital Transfusion Committee. Four years later, a retrospective audit was performed.


METHODS
We have evaluated all blood component orders (order is a transfusion request) during one month, classifying them as appropriate or inappropriate according to the transfusion guidelines. The evaluation was performed 24 hours after transfusion. The results obtained were compared with the ones obtained before the published transfusion guidelines.


RESULTS
481 transfusion orders were studied. 87 percent (420/481) were considered appropriate according to the transfusion guidelines. These 481 orders referred to the transfusion of 1178 units to 293 patients. 12 percent of the transfused units was considered as inappropriate. 16 percent of the patients (48/239) had at least on inappropriate transfusion procedure. The comparison with the data obtained in 1991 showed a significant increase of the appropriate transfusion orders (74 versus 87 percent). The use of fresh frozen plasma showed the greatest incidence in inappropriate use, mainly in haemorrhagic disorders without factor deficit. The patients with haemoglobin levels between 70 and 100 g/L without signs of hypoxia were the most important cause of inappropriate use of red cell concentrates. And the patients with platelet levels > 20 x 10(9)/L were the major cause of inappropriate use of platelet concentrates.


CONCLUSIONS
Transfusion guidelines knowledge improves the use of blood components.
García Gala
J M
JM
Servicio de Hematología, Hospital Central de Asturias, Oviedo.
Rodríguez Vicente
P
P
Bernal del Castillo
T
T
Martínez Revuelta
E
E
Corte Buelga
J R
JR
Rodríguez Luengo
J
J
Vargas Pabón
M
M
D000740:Anemia / Q000628:therapy; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000592:standards*; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D010949:Plasma; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies
Adecuación de la transfusión de hemoderivados a criterios previamente establecidos.