Assessing transfusion-related costs: More than just the price of blood

Abstract

A study assessing transfusion-related costs for trauma patients receiving low-titer O+ whole blood (LTO+ WB) and component therapy (CT) was recently published. 1 Reportedly, the mean annual cost for all products decreased by 17.3% after the implementation of whole blood transfusion. Furthermore, LTO+ WB was associated with a significantly lower cost/ patient and cost/patient/mL compared with CT in adults at all time points assessed and overall. These findings are critical, as blood is one of the greatest expenses for hospital blood banks, and as health care costs continue to increase in the United States, cost analysis and health care utilization studies are crucial for improving outcomes and reducing expenses.