Study of Blood Products Utilization in Major Departments of Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran

Background: In the present study the amount of requested blood products in major departments of Imam Reza Medical Center, Kermanshah, Iran has been studied to evaluate the necessity of these requests and also the amount of blood products wastage because of unnecessary requests.Materials and Methods: In the present study the information related to 4832 unit of requested blood products from Iranian Blood Transfusion organization from January 2011 to July 2012 in major (internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics , general surgery) departments of Imam Reza Medical Center, Kermanshah, Iran were evaluated. All data related to these requested blood products were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. Results: The internal medicine department had the highest amount of blood products requests and also the highest percentage of unnecessary requests causing the waste of products (60% of requested blood products were wasted in this department). The lowest rate of waste was observed in pediatrics department (38.3%).Conclusion: At the present a high percentage of blood products requests were found to be unnecessary. An education program to improve the awareness and knowledge of health personnel about the transfusion medicine and also preparation of local guidelines for blood ordering system is essential for appropriate use of blood products. The reduced amount of wastage will also be an essential step in improving the safety of blood transfusion.