Blood Bags Usage Management in Elective Surgery in Hospitals of Iran:A Review Study

Abstract Background and Objectives This study aimed to investigate the management of the consumption of blood bags in the elective procedures in the public and private hospitals in Iran. Due to the issue of blood shortages caused by unpredictable demand besides immediate requirements for blood units in particular conditions, the strategic management of consumption of this vital source is necessary.   Materials and Methods In this study, we evaluated 30 articles published from 2005 to 2017 which included the most important observational and interventional researches in Iran. These articles had investigated the consumption procedure and the likely wastage rate of blood bags in the operating rooms of Iranian hospitals.   Results The results of this review showed the over-reservation of the blood units due to the lack of standard protocols for blood ordering, and the negligence of relevant staff toward expiry date and reserved/returned units as the most prevalent reasons for blood component wastage in operating rooms. The results of the studies carried out showed that conducting some effective interventions led to reduction of the rate of blood wastage and improvement of the standard blood transfusion indices such as cross-match to transfusion ratio (C/T ratio), Transfusion Probability (TP), and Transfusion Index (TI).   Conclusions  According to previous studies, the organization of a committee on the principles of managing blood supply at the national, local and hospital levels, implementation of standard blood transfusion guidelines, and establishment of training programs for physicians and nurses on the process of optimizing blood usage will be effective