Promoting safer blood transfusion practice in hospital.
Results from a national comparative audit of bedside transfusion practice show that patients in the UK are at risk of misidentification and poor monitoring when undergoing a blood transfusion. A commonly identified reason for poor compliance with guidelines from the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH et al 1999) is a lack of awareness of good transfusion practice (National Blood Service (NBS) 2005). This article discusses the implications of the audit findings for the administration of blood at the bedside and examines initiatives to support hospital staff in their efforts to improve blood transfusion safety.
Parris
E
E
National Blood Service, Cambridge.
Grant-Casey
J
J
D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000451:nursing* / Q000592:standards*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000592:standards; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000592:standards; D009731:Nursing Audit; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education; D010355:Patient Identification Systems / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012307:Risk Factors; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D006113:United Kingdom