Why the need for blood management?

Transfusion Therapy is Hazardous and Expensive, Yet Blood Utilization is Suboptimal!

• Blood acquisition costs have more than doubled in the past few years and will continue to rise as the blood supply struggles to meet the increasing demand.

• Each transfusion causes a stepwise increase in serious complications including postoperative infection rates, ventilator-acquired pneumonia, central line sepsis, ICU and hospital length of stay, as well as mortality rates.

• Transfusion costs exceed blood acquisition costs by five times or greater when accounting for labor, supplies, administration and adverse events.

• Most physicians who order blood products lack formal training in transfusion therapy, and many are unaware of current transfusion guidelines.

• Oversight of blood utilization is lacking as witnessed by wide variation in transfusion practices between institutions and among physicians at the same institution.

• From a medical-legal standpoint, the financial liability of improper informed consent, inappropriate transfusions and transfusion errors can be substantial.