Recommendations for Hospital Transfusion Committees
| Recommendation | Action by |
|---|---|
| GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS | |
| Active participation in SHOT must continue | Through Hospital Transfusion Committees (HTCs) |
| Resources must be made available in Trusts to ensure that appropriate and effective remedial action is taken following transfusion errors | HTCs |
| Hospital transfusion teams (HTTs) must be established and supported | HTCs |
| Mechanisms must be put in place for appropriate and timely communication of information regarding special transfusion requirements | Through HTCs |
| Appropriate use of blood components must be strenuously promoted and evaluated. This must include monitoring for serious adverse effects of alternatives to transfusion | Through HTCs |
| INCORRECT BLOOD COMPONENT TRANSFUSED | |
| Training and competency testing of all staff involved in the transfusion process must emphasise the importance of positive patient identification, with particular attention paid to critical care situations | HTCs |
| Pending the availability of an effective IT solution, hospitals should take steps to implement robust methods to ensure that the patient’s transfusion history including special requirements is kept up to date and accessible to the transfusion laboratory at all times. A patient held booklet is one possible solution | RTC/HTC network |
| NEAR MISS | |
| Robust systems for noting patients’ special requirements should be developed together with a policy of empowering patients to be more aware of their own special needs | HTCs |
| ACUTE TRANSFUSION REACTIONS | |
| In the event of a patient death during or immediately following blood transfusion, the possibility of an ATR must be considered and investigated | HTCs for inclusion in transfusion policies |