title: Utilization of banked blood in pediatric surgical procedures in Calabar, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Performing major surgery in a child demands that blood is cross-matched and saved to be transfused as indicated. Because the cost of cross-matching and donation of blood can be enormous and may equal or surpass the cost of surgery in our setting, it is pertinent to evaluate its utilization. The aim of this study was to determine how banked blood meant for pediatric surgical procedures was utilized with the hope of streamlining our blood requisition policy. This may be useful to pediatric and other surgeons involved in the operative care of children in similar settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study of all children who had ELECTIVE or EMERGENCY surgical procedures between January 2009 and June 2010. The age, sex, nature of surgery, blood loss, banked units of blood and amount transfused were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty two patients had 81 units of blood banked for them. Forty - eight and half units (59.9%) of the banked blood were for the emergency group but only 18 units (22.2%) were actually transfused at the end (P = 0.044) leading to inadequate use of the product.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Banking large quantities of blood but utilizing only little is tantamount to inadequate use and delays surgical intervention. Indirectly, it increases cost of surgery. There is need to rationalize our blood ordering habits without causing harm to patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Pediatric Surgery Unit, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. usangue@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Usang E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Usang
authors.forename: Akan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Inyang
authors.forename: Ini-Abasi U
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ilori
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inyama-Asuquo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*