The impact of electronic decision support and electronic remote blood issue on transfusion practice.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact on transfusion practice of a two-stage electronic intervention: the introduction of a decision support system (DSS) followed by the addition of electronic remote blood issue (ERBI). BACKGROUND: With increasing evidence to show the benefit of restrictive transfusion policies, it is important to ascertain which interventions can increase clinician compliance with their implementation. A DSS provides patient-specific recommendations to clinicians. ERBI reduces delays in acquiring blood and may alter the transfusion behaviour of clinicians. METHODS: All electronically requested blood transfusions administered outside of surgical theatres or recovery were identified in an orthopaedic hospital. These were divided into three time periods corresponding to pre-intervention, the successive introduction of DSS alone and DSS with ERBI. Pre- and post-transfusion haemoglobin (Hb) concentration levels, and the number of units ordered and transfused were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 204 transfusions for 92 patients were assessed; 38 of 85 (45%) transfusions in the first time period were compliant. This did not significantly change after introduction of the DSS, but with DSS and ERBI together significantly increased to 39 of 60 (65%) (P < 0·05). Mean pre-transfusion Hb reduced from 8·24 g dl(-1) in the first time period to 7·67 g dl(-1) in the third (P < 0·0001). There was no significant change in overall blood usage, although ERBI significantly reduced the amount of unused blood orders from 70 to 25%. CONCLUSION: Electronic DSS was not sufficient to change practice in the form implemented in this study. ERBI can contribute to significant improvements in blood usage as well as the efficiency of blood provision.

Colour photographs for screening in neovascular age-related macular degeneration: are they necessary?

AIMS: To investigate whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) with associated infra-red images provide enough information to determine treatment decisions in the management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), or whether retinal colour photography is also necessary. METHODS: In all, 87 OCT scans of 82 eyes with nAMD undergoing monitoring post ranibizumab treatment were taken using the Zeiss Stratus (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany; n=87) together with their corresponding infra-red images. Fundus colour photographs were also taken. These images were reviewed by an experienced assessor, and a ranibizumab treatment decision was made during a multidisciplinary team retinal image review meeting. RESULTS: In all, 30 OCT scans (34.5%) showed intraretinal or subretinal oedema. A total of 24 colour photographs (19.5%) demonstrated retinal haemorrhage. Corresponding OCT infra-red images gave poor sensitivity in detecting haemorrhages (0.176). In 16.7% of decisions to treat, haemorrhage alone was the deciding factor. Signs of disease activity seen only on colour photography were the deciding factor in clinical decisions for 8% of scans assessed. CONCLUSIONS: The presence or increase of intra-retinal oedema is an important sign of activity triggering ranibizumab retreatment, but some eyes show signs of retinal haemorrhage without coexisting oedema. These haemorrhages are often only seen on either colour imaging or fundoscopy and are unclear or invisible on OCT scans and infra-red images. Therefore, although retinal colour photography creates additional expense, it is indispensable for making informed retreatment decisions, if patients are monitored using retinal imaging alone.