A SURVEY OF RED-CELL USE IN 45 HOSPITALS IN CENTRAL ONTARIO, CANADA

Background: The purpose of this survey was to establish baseline infor mation on blood component use in relation to patient diagnoses, proced ures, and demographics and to identify patterns of blood use that may be used for blood program planning and transfusion audits. Study Desig n and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of the transfusion of blood co mponents in teaching and nonteaching hospitals in central Ontario betw een September 1991 and August 1992 was carried out. Coders of hospital medical records routinely record demographics, procedures, diagnoses, and other relevant information. A protocol was created by which medic al records coders could add the components transfused to the discharge abstract for this study. Red cell use is reported here. Results: Of t he 61 hospitals invited to participate, from which 547,279 patients we re discharged during the 12-month period of the study, 45 (74%) agreed to participate. Information was collected on 439,373 discharged patie nts. Of these, 26,611 (6.1%) received at least 1 unit of red cells. Of a total of 101,116 red cell units transfused, more than 74 percent we re used in patients discharged with neoplasms, gastrointestinal diseas es, circulatory system diseases, and trauma. High-transfusion-use proc edures included operations and procedures on the digestive and cardiov ascular systems, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, musculoskeleta l system, and hemic or lymphatic system procedures, Conclusion: This s urvey provides baseline blood transfusion information for a specific p eriod that can help determine the need for hospital audits and maximum surgical blood-order schedule guideline reviews. This information is relevant to current recommendations to reduce patient's exposure to bl ood components. These transfusion data will assist in blood program pl anning based on known disease trends, demographics, and population cha nges.