Assessment of blood usage pattern by analyzing blood utilization indices at blood center: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Blood banks must be able to supply life-saving products efficiently. Simultaneous analysis of the patterns in the ordering of blood units is important to ascertain how frequently patients need blood. Blood consists of both cellular and plasma components, which have their own significance. RBCs, WBCs and Platelets make up the cellular portion. Plasma is fluid portion and 92% of it is only water with the remaining 8% being plasma proteins and coagulation factors.

The aim of study was to assess blood usage patterns by analysing blood utilization indices (BUI).

Methodology: Study was cross sectional study carried out at blood centre, Department of Pathology, RMCH, Bareilly, UP for one year (august 2023 to July 2024)

• C/T ratio = total no. of units cross-matched / total no. of units transfused.

  • Ideally this ratio should be 1.0

  • Value 2.5 and less indicate significant blood usage.

• Transfusion index (TI) = No. of units transfused / No. of patient cross-matched

  • Value 0.5 or above indicates of significant use of blood

• Transfusion probability (T%) = Number of patient transfused / Number of patient cross-matched X 100

  • Value 30% and more is indicative of significant use of blood

Result: A total of 3,888 transfusion requests were sent by various departments for the duration of 1 year from 1 August 2023 to 31 July2024 at blood centre, in medical college in UP.

Maximum cases from age 21 to 30 years of age group. Maximum patient receiving blood were female 51.70% followed by male 48.30%. Maximum cases were of blood group B+ (36.19%) followed by O+ (29.22%). Least cases of requests were of blood group AB+ (0.15%). PRBC CT ratio across departments indicate efficient utilization of PRBC units. Medicine (1.01), Oncology (1.01), Chest and TB (1) and ENT (1) had most optimal ratios. Transfusion probability (TP) reflects percentage of cross-matched patients who were transfused, highlighting efficiency of cross-matching practices. Casualty had highest TI (1.67). Oncology (1.43), Surgery (1.44), Orthopedics (1.47) and OBG (1.45) also demonstrated high efficiency.

Conclusion: The current study provides data on blood unit utilization at tertiary care hospital by using transfusion quality metrics, such as transfusion index, transfusion probability and C/T ratio showed effective blood use.