title: Appropriateness of platelet, fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate transfusion in New South Wales public hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the appropriateness of transfusions of platelets, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and cryoprecipitate using National Health and Medical Research Council and Australasian Society for Blood Transfusion guidelines (NHMRC/ASBT 2002).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three separate retrospective surveys of medical records from 1 January to 31 August 2000 (1147 transfused patients) from 14 hospitals selected randomly from all public hospitals that use these blood products in New South Wales: five tertiary referral, five major metropolitan, and four major rural (base) hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proportion of potentially inappropriate transfusions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  33% (136/414) of platelet, 37% (248/669) of FFP and 62% (37/60) of cryoprecipitate transfusions were assessed as inappropriate. By hospital type, 29% (75/259) of platelet transfusions were inappropriate at tertiary referral hospitals, 51% (40/78) at major urban hospitals, and 27% (21/79) at major rural hospitals. For FFP, 36% (112/313), 37% (80/216) and 39% (55/140) were inappropriate for referral, urban and rural hospitals, respectively. Cryoprecipitate was used almost exclusively at tertiary referral hospitals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In terms of the NHMRC/ASBT guidelines on use of blood products, there is considerable inappropriate transfusion of platelets, FFP and cryoprecipitate in NSW public hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital, Main Admin. Block, Westmead Hospital, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145. bills@dphcm.wsahs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: William N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.forename: George L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Dean
mesh_terms: D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005169:Factor VIII; D005340:Fibrinogen; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006753:Hospital Records / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D009517:New South Wales; D018579:Patient Selection; D010949:Plasma; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: C026912:cryoprecipitate coagulum; D005169:Factor VIII; D005340:Fibrinogen