Blood Management Tweets
The Bloody Truth Blog
The Joint Commission Reported Transfusion-Related Sentinel Events
January 18, 2012
During the first 3 quarters of last year, TJC reviewed 14 transfusion-related sentinel events taking the total to 92 investigated “hemolytic transfusion reactions involving administration of blood or blood products having major blood group incompatibilities” since 2004. What lessons are these events teaching us?
The Bloody Truth: Ten Facts About Blood Transfusions
Critical Information Every Physician, Nurse, and Hospital Executive Should Know
Upcoming Webinar
Optimizing the Management of Obstetric Hemorrhage via Simulation
Presented by:
Stan Davis, MD
System Medical Director Clinical Safety
Fairview Health Services
Kristi Miller, RN, MS
System Director Clinical Safety
Fairview Health Services
February 16, 2012, 2 - 3PM ET
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.







