Establishing a Culture of Blood Management Through Education: A Quality Initiative Study of Postoperative Blood Use in CABG Patients
Blood management strategies are crucial in light of transfusion-related health risks to patients and the relative scarcity and cost of blood products. The authors describe a collaborative quality initiative to reduce blood use in their coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) population and other cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) patients. A multidisciplinary team was engaged at all levels of patient care. The 2-part initiative involved a direct educational component emphasizing transfusion risk awareness and patient-centered blood management strategies accompanied by a data-based component that included monthly dissemination of blood product use to the relevant service lines. The authors observed a reduction in postoperative blood product use among CABG patients (14.3% decrease in the first year; 30.6% from 2006 to 2008) and an 18.2% reduction in blood product volume used in the entire CVICU, with no additional harm to patients and a trend toward better outcomes. This team-driven paradigm change has made blood management everyone’s initiative.
Establishing a Culture of Blood Management Through Education: A Quality Initiative Study of Postoperative Blood Use in CABG Patients at Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Faisal Masud, MD,Karin Larson-Pollock, MD, MBA, Christopher Leveque, MD,5 and Daynene Vykoukal, PhD,
American Journal of Medical Quality, 26(5) 349–356
