Clinical Analysis of Non-blood Transfusion Management in our Emergency Department

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The number of patients who refuse blood transfusion is increasing for not only religious reasons but also non-religious reasons. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of non-blood transfusion and to help the management of patients who want a non-blood transfusion. METHODS: We have studied on the case of 95 who refused blood transfusion. They visited the emergency department in Dong-A University Medical Center from November 2004 to July 2006, and these were reviewed retrospectively. We investigated sex, age, diagnosis, hemoglobin/hematocrit (Hb/Hct) level, the histories of transfusion. They were assigned to two groups according to the necessity of the blood transfusion. We analyzed differences in the average of Hb/Hct level, the histories of operation, numbers of nonblood transfusion, hospital stay, outcomes. RESULTS: The patients consisted of 40 males and 55 females. the most dominant ages of the patients were in the seventies (21 patients). A blood transfusion was considered to be necessary for 17 patients (17.9%). Nobody practically received a blood transfusion. Out of those 17 patients, the average of Hb/Hct level was 5.4 g/dL and 16.7% respectively. In addition, 9 patients (52.9%) were operated, 2 (11.8%) died, and all of the 17 patients recevied the non-blood transfusion. CONCLUSION: The treatment of patients who want non-blood transfusion management involves important medical considerations to decrease the risk of transfusion, to improve patient outcome. The development of appropriate non-blood transfusion strategies is increasingly important, and more studies are needed to define their role by controlled clinical trials.