"Transfusion indication RBC (PBM-02)": gap analysis of a Joint Commission Patient Blood Management Performance Measure at a community hospital

Results after the application of tranexamic acid intravenous or intra-articular in the control of postsurgical bleeding after total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

A frequent complication after total hip arthroplasty is bleeding; to reduce it, intravenous or intra-articular tranexamic acid (TXA) is used. There is no evidence yet on which route of administration is better.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

This was a prospective, controlled, randomized study in 2 arms between February 2017 and February 2019. In group A, 15 mg/kg intravenous TXA was administered and in group B 2 g intra-articular TXA. Haemoglobin and haematocrit values were evaluated at 24-72 h, also volume of drained blood, volume of blood lost, transfusions and complications.

RESULTS

A total of 195 patients were included: 110 in group A and 85 group B. Haemoglobin dropped 3.10 ± 1.32 g/dl in 24 h and 3.63 ± 1.41 g/dl at 72 h in group A; the haematocrit dropped 8.38 ± 4.67% in 24 h and 15.40 ± 4.39% in 72 h. In group B, haemoglobin dropped 3.09 ± 1.40 g/dl in 24 h and 3.34 ± 1.23 g/dl in 72 h and haematocrit 9.75 ± 3.95% and 10.40 ± 3.72% in 24 and 72 h. No significant differences were found for haemoglobin values at 24 and 72 h and haematocrit at 24 h (p > 0.05); we did not obtain statistically significant differences in drainage, blood loss between groups or in the proportion of transfused. When stratifying the results by age, we obtained significant differences in the decrease in haemoglobin (p = 0.021) and haematocrit (p = 0.025) in patients > 65 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The different routes of administration of TXA in PTC have a similar effect in reducing post-operative bleeding without evidencing an increase in complications.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

I.

Improving Blood Transfusion Practices in a Community Hospital Setting: Our Experience with Real-Time Clinical Decision Support

There is good evidence that 50% or more of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are unnecessary. To curtail inappropriate RBC transfusions at our hospital, real-time clinical decision support was implemented in our electronic medical record (EMR) that alerts clinicians to the patient's most recent pretransfusion hemoglobin value upon order entry and provides Best Practice Advisory. This is a soft pop-up alert which is activated when the hemoglobin exceeds 7 g/dL. The ordering clinician can either honor (by cancelling the order) or override the alert. We studied the impact of the alert on blood utilization during a 3-month period (November 2016 to January 2017). For patients who were transfused despite the alert, a retrospective review of the medical chart was performed to determine whether or not the transfusion was clinically indicated. During the study period, 178 of the 895 RBC transfusion orders (20%) triggered the alert. After excluding duplicates, 144 orders were included in our analysis. Most of these orders (124/144, 86%) were carried out despite the alert. According to our chart review, 48% of the alert transfusions could be considered inappropriate, with hemodynamically stable, asymptomatic anemia being the leading indication. Of clinical services, orthopedic surgery had the highest rate of overriding the alert with no clinical justification (70%). The number of RBC transfusions dropped from 313.5 units per month (preintervention period) to 293.2 units per month (postintervention period)-a 6.5% decrease. Real-time clinical decision support may reduce the number of inappropriate RBC transfusions in a community hospital setting, though in our study, the decrease in blood utilization (6.5%) did not reach statistical significance.

Blood transfusion trigger in burns: a four-year retrospective analysis of blood transfusions in eleven burn centers in Ukraine

One focus of improvement of burn care in Ukraine was the management of blood loss and blood transfusions in burn patients. The aim of this project was to analyze blood transfusion triggers in burn patients and outcomes at eleven major burn centers in Ukraine. This multicenter retrospective study reviewed four years of data on blood-transfused burn patients admitted to eleven major burn centers in Ukraine. Data analyzed included: demographics, characteristics of the burns, complications of burn injury, triggers for blood transfusions and outcomes. A total of 928 burn patients who received 2,693 blood transfusions from 11 major burn centers over a four-year period, were studied. Regardless of the total body surface area (TBSA) that was burned, blood transfusions were administered with a hemoglobin (Hb) trigger value of around 9 g/dL. Roughly one third (30.5%) of all transfusions were given in patients with a TBSA ≤ 10%. We demonstrated that Ukrainian doctors were using the same Hb trigger for blood transfusions for all Ukrainian burn patients, which suggested a need to change blood transfusion policy.

Monitoring compliance with transfusion guidelines in hospital departments by electronic data capture

BACKGROUND

The practice of transfusing red blood cells is still liberal in some centres suggesting a lack of compliance with guidelines recommending transfusion of red blood cells at haemoglobin levels of 6-8 g/dL in the non-bleeding patient. Few databases provide ongoing feedback of data on pre-transfusion haemoglobin levels at the departmental level. In a tertiary care hospital, no such data were produced before this study. Our aim was to establish a Patient Blood Management database based on electronic data capture in order to monitor compliance with transfusion guidelines at departmental and hospital levels.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hospital data on admissions, diagnoses and surgical procedures were used to define the populations of patients. Data on haemoglobin measurements and red blood cell transfusions were used to calculate pre-transfusion haemoglobin, percentage of transfused patients and transfusion volumes.

RESULTS

The model dataset include 33,587 admissions, of which 10% had received at least one unit of red blood cells. Haemoglobin measurements preceded 96.7% of the units transfused. The median pre-transfusion haemoglobin was 8.9 g/dL (interquartile range 8.2-9.7) at the hospital level. In only 6.5% of the cases, transfusion was initiated at 7.3 g/dL or lower as recommended by the Danish national transfusion guideline. In 27% of the cases, transfusion was initiated when the haemoglobin level was 9.3 g/dL or higher, which is not recommended. A median of two units was transfused per transfusion episode and per hospital admission. Transfusion practice was more liberal in surgical and intensive care units than in medical departments.

DISCUSSION

We described pre-transfusion haemoglobin levels, transfusion rates and volumes at hospital and departmental levels, and in surgical subpopulations. Initial data revealed an extensive liberal practice and low compliance with national transfusion guidelines, and identified wards in need of intervention.

Blood Transfusion in the 21st Century

Blood transfusion is a common procedure in the hospital setting, and the safety of the blood supply has been vastly improved over the past few decades largely due to improvements in screening for viral transmissible diseases, especially human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and viral hepatitis. However, more recent efforts to improve blood safety have focused on non-transmissible disease risks such as transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), non-viral transmissible diseases such as bacterial contamination of blood products (especially platelet components which are stored at room temperature) and Chagas disease (a parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi), and prion transmissible agents (e.g., variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as the agent of mad cow disease) as well as more recently-recognized transmissible viral disease risks such as West Nile virus. Appropriate blood utilization has also come under more intense scrutiny in recent times due to healthcare costs and the recognition that many blood transfusions are given under circumstances in which the benefit to the patients is unclear and may be potentially harmful due to the above risks as well as the emerging concept that blood transfusions may cause long-term damage to the immune system resulting in worse patient morbidity and mortality outcomes. Toward that end, accreditation agencies such as the Joint Commission and the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) are advocating for healthcare organizations to implement appropriate patient blood management strategies. This review will examine these issues along with newer blood safety technological innovations and further highlight contributing studies from our institutions.

A new device to relieve venipuncture pain can affect haematology test results

BACKGROUND

In vitro diagnostic tests play a key role in patients' management (e.g., guiding red blood cell transfusions). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an innovative device (Buzzy®) which is claimed to be able to relieve venipuncture pain by means of cold and vibration. This device was applied during collection of venous blood by venipuncture for conventional haematology testing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Blood was drawn from 100 volunteers by a single, expert phlebotomist. A vein was located in the left forearm without applying a tourniquet but using a subcutaneous tissue transilluminator device, so that venous stasis was avoided. Blood samples were collected with a 20G straight needle directly into 4 mL K3EDTA vacuum tubes. In sequence, external cold and vibration was established by Buzzy® on the right forearm -5 cm above the venipuncture site- for 1 minute before venipuncture and continued until the end of the same procedure already performed in the left forearm. Conventional haematological tests were performed using the same instrument (Sysmex® XE-2100D) in all cases.

RESULTS

When Buzzy® was applied before drawing blood, erythrocyte counts and associated parameters (i.e., haemoglobin and haematocrit) were higher, whereas platelet number, leucocyte count and differential were lower. Statistically and clinically significant differences (P<0.001) were observed for erythrocytes, haemoglobin and haematocrit.

DISCUSSION

From a practical perspective, cold-induced haemoconcentration promotes the efflux of water, diffusible ions and low molecular weight molecules from the vessel, thus increasing the concentration of other blood analytes at the puncture site. These variations may influence test results, especially for erythrocytes, haemoglobin and haematocrit. The novel Buzzy® device should, therefore, be used with caution when collecting blood for conventional haematological testing because of the observed bias introduced in some parameters.