Effectiveness of blood utilization across departments in a tertiary health institution

Intruduction: The limited availability of blood makes it imperative that Hospitals and transfusion centres employ blood utilization indicators to ensure effective and efficient use. This study is a review of the transfusion practices and blood utilization Indicators of the largest tertiary health centre in South East Nigeria. Material and methods: The study is a retrospective cross-sectional Hospital based type. The following, biodemographic data, clinical diagnosis, and blood bank information such as patient and donor blood types from a 3-year period (January 2018–January 2021) was reviewed. The total number of units crossmatched, issued, transfused, or returned was extracted. Utilization Indicators such as crossmatch to transfusion ratio, transfusion probability, and transfusion index were calculated and our findings were compared to similar studies performed in centres located in India, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia Results: A total of 2,919 blood units were cross-matched out of which 2,212 units were transfused to 1,953 patients. The study reported an overall crossmatch to transfusion rate of 1.3, a Transfusion probability of 71%, and a transfusion index of 1.1. These findings compare favourably with findings reported from studies done in other LMIC countries. Comparatively, the Department of Medicine with a crossmatch to transfusion ratio of 1.1 has the most efficient blood ordering practices. Conclusion: The study findings showed that the quality indicators on the utilization of blood are in keeping with international best practices. Implementation of policies like the Maximum surgical blood ordering schedule (MSBOS) could further strengthen the practice and improve the results of the surgical disciplines