Cross Matching to Transfusion Ratios: Comparison between Menoufia University Surgical Departments, Egypt. Surprising Results

Abstract

Background: Patients underwent elective surgical procedures frequently need blood before or after their surgery. To give a safety margin in the case of an unanticipated hemorrhage, more units of blood are ordered than will be needed. Significant waste of blood, reagents, and human resources arises from excessive requests with insufficient usage. Objective: The current study aimed to assess the efficiency of blood ordering and transfusion processes at the Surgical Departments of Menoufia University. Patients and methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the blood bank of Menoufia University Hospital, over a year. The cross matching (C)/transfusion ratio was calculated using the following formula: Number of units crossmatched/ Number of units transfused. Also, the Transfusion Probability (TP) formula, Transfusion Index (TI), and Cross matching/transfusion percentage were calculated. Results: cross matching was requested and done for 9458 patients admitted for doing elective surgeries, from them only 1240 patients were transfused, this indicates that only 13.1% of the total units cross matched were used and the 86.9% remained unutilized. Transfusion probability was 13.1%, the overall C/T ratio was 7.6, and the transfusion index was 0.13. Conclusion:The Surgical Departments in our hospital exhibit ineffective blood ordering procedures. To better use blood units in our hospital and to minimize this huge loss, we must strictly adhere to restrictive blood transfusion procedures and the Maximum Surgical Blood Ordering Schedule (MSBOS).