Latest ‘PBM Column’ Focuses on Out-of-Hospital Transfusion

AABB’s Transfusion Safety and Patient Blood Management (TS/PBM) Subsection recently released the latest article in its “PBM Column” series, “Outpatient Transfusions and Patient Blood Management.”

In this complimentary resource, Deborah Tolich, DNP, RN, director of patient blood management at the Cleveland Clinic, begins by assessing research on the frequency of outpatient transfusion, the types of patients most likely to receive outpatient transfusions and adverse events associated with this therapy.

The column continues with a discussion of guidelines and standards related to outpatient transfusion. First, Tolich describes findings from a survey of AABB members that addressed formal outpatient platelet guidelines, thresholds for platelet transfusions and review processes. Tolich goes on to describe how AABB’s Standards for a Patient Blood Management Program and Standards for Out-of-Hospital Transfusion Administration Services apply to various health care settings. Additionally, the column addresses barriers to outpatient transfusion resulting from the current reimbursement system and focuses on the role of PBM programs in outpatient transfusion.

The column concludes by highlighting several unanswered questions related to outpatient transfusions, including the need for separate guidelines, the optimal monitoring and auditing approach and the reportable metrics and outcomes. Future research may help to fill these knowledge gaps.

Additional PBM resources are available in AABB’s PBM Toolkit.