Blood Transfusion

Excerpt

This guideline contains recommendations about general principles of blood transfusion, and applies to a range of conditions and different settings. It does not include recommendations relating to specific conditions and provides guidance on:

1. the appropriate use of blood components

2. alternatives to transfusion for surgical patients

3. ensuring patient safety, including monitoring for transfusion reactions

4. providing patients with information about transfusion.

This guideline focuses on the general principles of transfusion. To do this, it was necessary to limit the scope by excluding:

1. patient groups with special transfusion needs, such as foetuses, neonates and children under 1 year old, pregnant women, and patients with haemoglobinopathies

2. specialist areas already covered by NICE guidelines, for example, anaemia in chronic kidney disease, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and trauma and massive haemorrhage

3. the use and administration of blood products, such as intravenous immunoglobulin, anti-D and recombinant activated factor VII

4. near-patient testing for haemoglobin concentration and haemostasis

5. laboratory procedures relating to the safety and quality of blood, including pre-transfusion compatibility testing.

6. the diagnosis of anaemia

7. the management of anaemia in medical patients is out of the scope of this guidance, but it is important to note that the correct approach for managing anaemia in medical patients is important for avoiding unnecessary use of blood.