The blood bank physician as a hemostasis consultant.
More than 50% of all red cells are used to treat patients who are hemorrhaging either due to spontaneous bleeding, trauma or surgery and all platelet products and most plasma is given to prevent or treat bleeding patients. Therefore, knowledge of hemostasis is important to transfusion medicine specialists. There are three requirements to function in this capacity. One, understand the test used to assess hemostasis; two: understand the composition of blood components thoroughly and three, have a knowledge of the clinical studies in which hemostasis risk was assessed using tests of hemostasis and the clinical utility of blood components in bleeding risk attenuation.
Sweeney
Joseph D
JD
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. jsweeney@lifespan.org