An Evaluation of the Practice for the Requisition of Blood Products and its Utilization in Neurosurgical Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery at a Tertiary Care Hospital

BACKGROUND: Neurosurgical procedures are associated with profound blood loss that necessitates need for intraoperative and postoperative blood transfusion. Excessive ordering of blood based on physicians' habitual practice may lead to unintentional misuse of blood bank services. For the optimal use of blood resources, transfusion practices have to be appropriate. AIMS: The aim of this study is to study the cross match to transfusion ratio and to review the blood utilization practices (transfusion index and maximal surgical blood order schedule) in elective neurosurgical procedures. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A prospective, observational study comprising 740 patients undergoing elective neurosurgical procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood requisition forms and patient records were analyzed of patients undergoing elective neurosurgical procedures from December 2017 to December 2018. A review and note was made of the patient's age, sex, and diagnosis. The number of units prepared, cross matched, and transfused were noted. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis was performed with the IBM SPSS software version 21.0. Blood utilization indices were computed and expressed as percentage. RESULTS: A total of 740 patients underwent elective surgical procedures. Among these, 346 patients were requested to prepare 614 units of blood. Out of these 740 patients, there were 56 patients who were in the pediatric age group. A total of 178 units were transfused in 102 patients. One hundred and forty-two units were transfused in the intraoperative period, whereas as 36 units were transfused in the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: There is an efficient usage of blood for patients undergoing surgery for meningiomas, posterior fossa tumors, spinal dysraphism, and craniovertrebral junctional anomalies. However, the blood resources were poorly utilized in patients undergoing surgery for subarachnoid hemorrhage and pituitary tumors. A revision of blood transfusion policy within the hospital is needed.