title: [Transfusion safety: state of the arts (ART)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood transfusion is a high risk activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate transfusion safety in planned cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in the blood bank of the Rabta Hospital in two phases: a phase to observe transfusion acts followed by corrective actions and a phase to evaluate the impacts of these corrections on the transfusion practices. Characteristics of the potentially transfused patients, the eventually prescribed, dispensed and transfused blood products and transfusion practices were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the observation phase, 70 patients were enrolled, 51 potentially transfused. Weaknesses concerned the mention of phenotype and transfusion history when ordering blood components as well as the double ABO/D group typing, the phenotype and the cross match performing. Final bedside controls were done in a wrong way. The distribution and the blood administration were established respectively for 208 and 232 blood products. The traceability was established for 86 blood products. During the evaluation phase, 30 patients were enrolled, 15 potentially transfused. Improvement was achieved in the transfusion history notification, phenotype and antibodies screen performing and cross matching.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Optimisation of blood transfusion can be conceived only with collaboration between the different transfusion structures.
authors.affiliation: Service Hématologie Banque du Sang, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar.
authors.forename: Neila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Romdhane
authors.forename: Hela
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baccouche
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahjoub
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khayati
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058731:Blood Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D055815:Young Adult