title: Utilization of blood and components in a tertiary care hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Blood transfusion is an important part of patient management. Indications for blood use must be clear in the mind of ordering clinicians, to avoid its misuse and also to avoid unnecessary exposure of the patient to donor blood antigens, adverse reactions and transfusion transmissible diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective pilot study, details of whole blood and components transfused were noted and correlated with the patient's diagnosis and indications for transfusion, during 1 month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The blood units supplied were 720. Whole blood was the most utilized product; followed by packed red blood cells. Supply of blood was maximum to the surgical wards. The patients of trauma followed by malignancy and surgery required whole blood mostly. Anemia was the most common indication for blood products.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Periodic review of blood component usage is very important to assess the blood utilization pattern in any hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand India.
authors.forename: Dushyant Singh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Gaur
authors.forename: Gita
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Negi
authors.forename: Neena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: Anuradha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kusum
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Ved Prakash
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Pathak
keywords: Blood components; Blood units; Blood usage; Periodic review of blood usage; Whole blood