FOI Request
- Disclosure ID
- FOI/03504
- Request Date
- January 13, 2020
- Subject
- Blood Management Procedures
- Description
1). With anticipation of a potentially difficult and urgent open nephrectomy, is it usual to expect some degree of transfusion to be necessary? What is the average number of x matched units drawn down for such operations?
2). In respect of Q1, would arranging for four cross-matched units to be available (when there is no expectation of a transfusion being required) be excessive?
3). In the event that some or all of the units are not used, what happens to them?
4). How is the management of product recorded and archived for each patient including information on all blood products used and not used/returned to blood product supplies on an individual patient they were x matched for?
5). In common blood types do the processes and records answered in point 4 above differ in any way?
- Response
1). Routine nephrectomy would be covered by a group and save sample (establishing the patient’s blood group and retaining the sample in the laboratory should blood required) For a potentially difficult nephrectomy there is no average number of units as the decision of how much blood would be needed to cover surgery would be made by the surgeon and anesthetist looking after the patient based on the complexity of the surgery and the blood results of pre-operative hemoglobin levels and this would be communicated to the laboratory.
2). The number of units of blood requested to cover the operation would be based on the anticipated potential blood loss due the complexity of the surgery along with the blood results of pre-operative hemoglobin levels this decision would again be made by the surgeon and anesthetist looking after the patient.
3). Blood units that are not used are taken back in to stock and re-cross matched and allocated to other patients.
4). Electronic and paper records of all blood allocated or transfused to the patient are retained by the trust for 30 years in accordance with legal requirements.
5). There is no difference in the way patient blood records are held regardless of their blood type.