Practices for rational use of blood components in a universitary hospital.

OBJECTIVE to produce improvements in transfusion practices through the implementation of an educational program for health professionals in a university hospital. METHODS this is an interventional and prospective study, with pre- and postanalysis of an educational intervention. The research was developed at the University Hospital of the Universidade Federal de Sergipe, involving participation of health professionals in the stage of training, during the month of February 2011, in addition to the monitoring of blood transfusions performed in the pre- and post-intervention periods. Transfusion practices were investigated upon request for transfusion or devolution of unused blood components. Knowledge of health professionals was assessed based on the responses to a questionnaire about transfusion practices. RESULTS during the educative campaign, 63 professionals were trained, including 33 nurses or nursing technicians and 30 physicians. Among the doctors, there was a statistically significant gain of 20.1% in theoretical knowledge (p=0.037). Gain in the nursing group was even higher: 30.4% (p=0.016). The comparative analysis of transfusion request forms showed a non-significant decrease from 26.7 to 19.5% (p=0.31) in all forms with incomplete information. We also observed a statistically significant improvement in relation to the filling of four items of transfusion request. CONCLUSION there was a significant improvement of the entire process related to blood transfusions after interventional project conducted in February 2011.