Reducing blood utilization by implementation of a type-and-screen transfusion policy a single-institution experience.

Objectives: The Blood Utilization Committee implemented a standardized protocol for the preoperative blood order for cardiac patients. The aim of our study was to assess the improvement in blood utilization using the crossmatch to transfusion ratio (C:T).

Methods: Four months of retrospective data were collected, which included all RBC crossmatch requests and all RBC units transfused.