Restrictive Transfusion Strategy and Clinical Decision Support Practices for Reducing RBC Transfusion Overuse

RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC. Pharmerit International, Bethesda, MD. National Network of Public Health Institutes, Washington, DC. Acumen, San Diego, CA. Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Englewood, NJ. Gauss Surgical, Los Altos, CA.

American journal of clinical pathology. 2019
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Assess support for the effectiveness of two separate practices, restrictive transfusion strategy and computerized physician order entry/clinical decision support (CPOE/CDS) tools, in decreasing RBC transfusions in adult surgical and nonsurgical patients. METHODS Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Laboratory Medicine Best Practice (LMBP) Systematic Review (A-6) method, studies were assessed for quality and evidence of effectiveness in reducing the percentage of patients transfused and/or units of blood transfused. RESULTS Twenty-five studies on restrictive transfusion practice and seven studies on CPOE/CDS practice met LMBP inclusion criteria. The overall strength of the body of evidence of effectiveness for restrictive transfusion strategy and CPOE/CDS was rated as high. CONCLUSIONS Based on these procedures, adherence to an institutional restrictive transfusion strategy and use of CPOE/CDS tools for hemoglobin alerts or reminders of the institution's restrictive transfusion policies are effective in reducing RBC transfusion overuse.
Study details
Study Design : Systematic Review
Language : eng
Credits : Bibliographic data from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine