Development and feasibility of a Patient Blood Management implementation programme in vascular surgery.

Vascular surgery is the largest (non-cardiac) user of blood transfusion which is associated with increased risk to patients. Patient Blood Management (PBM) is a quality improvement programme in transfusion medicine involving educational change and recommendations through preoperative, operative, and postoperative surgery. We wished to assess the feasibility to implement a PBM programme in vascular surgery.

Perioperative Anemia Management.

Anemia is increasingly recognized as an interventional hematological target in patients before major surgery. Preoperative anemia increases the need for perioperative blood transfusion, and there is now a well-recognized association with increased patient complications, length of hospital stay, and worse outcomes. Patient Blood Management (PBM) is a World Health Organization endorsed, evidence-based management bundle of care in transfusion hemostasis that focuses on three main aspects: anemia management, prevention of blood loss, and appropriate transfusion practice.

Management of the patient presenting with anaemia in the preoperative setting.

Preoperative anaemia is common, seen in a third of patients before major surgery. Both preoperative anaemia and blood transfusion are associated with increased patient risk and adverse outcome. Patient Blood Management (PBM) is the multidisciplinary, multimodal approach to optimising the care of patients who may require blood transfusion.