Category Archives: Stewardship

The Storage Lesion: The saga continues!

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Carolyn Burns, MD

Early this year I discussed the potential implications of the “storage lesion” for RBC transfusions in a previous blog post, The Storage Lesion, Soldier On and Stay Tuned. Several studies were cited and questions put forth that remained with the … Continue reading →

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The Storage Lesion: Soldier on and stay tuned!

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Carolyn Burns, MD

Transfusion has been a mainstay of patient care for years.  It is identified as the #1 procedure performed in hospitals.1  The development and ultimate use of specific blood components has provided ways to tailor transfusion therapy to the patient’s clinical … Continue reading →

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Obstetric Hemorrhage

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Carolyn Burns, MD

Transfusion support for the obstetric patient is complex and demands a significant understanding of the peri-partum physiology, bleeding risk assessment and knowledge of other useful mechanical, pharmacological, and surgical interventions.  Variability in  obstetric transfusion practice mirrors that seen in general … Continue reading →

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The Joint Commission Reported Transfusion-Related Sentinel Events

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Susann Nienhaus, RN, JD

Last fall The Joint Commission (TJC) published sentinel event data from 2004 through the first 3 quarters of 2011.1  While TJC cautions that this data is not epidemiologically meaningful because the events are for the most part voluntarily self-reported and … Continue reading →

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Are YOU a Blood Donor?

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Carolyn Burns, MD

After receiving my third phone call in two days from my transfusion service personnel with concerns about our inventory, I realized yet again how important the role of stewardship is to our blood supply. Inventory issues seem more glaringly apparent … Continue reading →

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Blood Administration from The Joint Commission Perspective

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Susann Nienhaus, RN, JD

The Joint Commission (TJC) has been evaluating and accrediting hospital laboratory services since 1979 and freestanding laboratories since 1995. Today, approximately 3,000 clinical laboratories have earned TJC accreditation and the Gold Seal of Approval™. In compliance with CLIA regulations, Joint … Continue reading →

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The New Rules of Blood Supply and Demand: Time for a Vein-to-Vein Value Chain

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Timothy Hannon, MD, MBA

As a capstone exercise for my MBA, I wrote a book chapter on transfusion economics.  It was a real eye-opener for me as I calculated the total cost of blood products,  which can be 4 to 8 times the purchase … Continue reading →

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Blood Money

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Timothy Hannon, MD, MBA

In the current environment of healthcare reform, the pressure for cost savings and cost effective healthcare has never been greater. As I define it, blood management is about quality, safety and stewardship, with a goal to ensure the careful and … Continue reading →

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