Quality lines
Improving blood transfusion in England
The public often perceive transmission of disease to be the most important transfusion risk. Fortunately, good transfusion practice has reduced this risk considerably. The reality is that the most serious risks are related to potentially avoidable human errors. Between 1996 and 2005, 105 deaths and 296 major complications occurred in the UK in patients who received a blood transfusion. This report of the 2005 National Comparative Audit of Transfusion Practice found that hospital transfusion committees had been well established by 2003. However, hospital transfusion teams lagged behind—86% reported having established teams by 2005 although only 52% reported having all essential elements of the team in place. Opportunities for improvement were identified. For example, 6% of patients received a blood transfusion with no identification wristband in place; while in 9% …
