title: Red Blood Cell Transfusions in Greece: Results of a Survey of Red Blood Cell Use in 2013.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Greece is ranked as the second highest consumer of blood components in Europe. For an effective transfusion system and in order to reduce variability of transfusion practice by implementing evidence-based transfusion guidelines it is necessary to study and monitor blood management strategies. Our study was conducted in order to evaluate the use of red blood cell units (RBC-U) in nationwide scale mapping parameters that contribute to their proper management in Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was conducted by the Working Committee of Transfusion Medicine&Apheresis of the Hellenic Society of Hematology from January to December 2013. The collected data included the number, ABO/D blood group, patients' department, and storage age of RBC-U transfused.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of RBC-U evaluated was 103,702 (17.77%) out of 583,457 RBC-U transfused in Greece in 2013. RBC-U transfused by hospital department (mean percentage) was as follows: Surgery 29.34%, Internal Medicine 29.48%, Oncology/Hematology 14.65%, Thalassemia 8.87%, Intensive Care Unit 6.55%, Nephrology 1.78%, Obstetrics/Gynecology 1.46%, Neonatal&Pediatric 0.31%, Private Hospitals 8.57%. RBC-U distribution according to ABO/D blood group was: A: 39.02%, B: 12.41%, AB: 5.16%, O: 43.41%, D+: 87.99%, D-: 12.01%. The majority of RBC-U (62.46%) was transfused in the first 15 days of storage, 25.24% at 16 to 28 days, and 12.28% at 29-42 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a high intercenter variability in RBC transfusions, surgical and internal medicine patients were the most common groups of patients transfused with an increasing rate for internal medicine patients. The majority of RBC-U were transfused within the first 15 days of storage, which is possibly the consequence of blood supply insufficiency leading to the direct use of fresh blood. Benchmarking transfusion activity may help to decrease the inappropriate use of blood products, reduce the cost of care, and optimize the use of the voluntary donor's gift.
authors.affiliation: Aretaieio Hospital, Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Department of Blood Transfusion, Athens, Greece Phone: +306944602629 E-mail: serenavalsami@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valsami
authors.forename: Elisavet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grouzi
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouliakis
authors.forename: Leontini
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fountoulaki-Paparisos
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kyriakou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gavalaki
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Markopoulos
authors.forename: Ekaterini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kontopanou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsolakis
authors.forename: Argyrios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsantes
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsoka
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Livada
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rekari
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vgontza
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Agoritsa
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Politou
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nousis
authors.forename: Aspasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Argyrou
authors.forename: Ekaterini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manaka
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baka
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mouratidou
authors.forename: Stavroula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsitlakidou
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Malekas
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maltezo
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papadopoulou
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pournara
authors.forename: Ageliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tirogala
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lysikatos
authors.forename: Sousanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pefani
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stamoulis
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006115:Greece; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System