Transfusion of blood and blood components (i.e. red cells, platelets, frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate) is one of the most common medical procedures performed worldwide. However, the decision to transfuse is one of the more complex medical decisions made and should be carefully considered, taking into account the full range of available therapies, and balancing the benefits and risks based on an accumulating body of medical evidence.
The National Guidelines on Clinical Transfusion aims to steer the clinician into evidence based clinically appropriate and timely use of blood components by maximising its life-saving potential and availability to those who need it most, while at the same time minimising unnecessary transfusion and its associated risks in those who are not likely to benefit.
Although the administration of blood components is restricted to hospitals and ambulatory care centers, primary care physicians and general practitioners should also find this guideline useful, determining the thresholds for transfusion and assessing patients for urgent referrals to hospitals, as well as identifying the large numbers of patients who would benefit from Patient Blood Management.
These guidelines are meant to guide clinical decision making and are not intended to replace medical judgement when managing patients. These guidelines should never be relied on as a substitute for proper assessment with respect to particular circumstances of each case and the needs of each patient. Furthermore, evidence based clinical practice guidelines are constantly evolving. Hence users should consider emerging evidence and data that may supersede these guidelines.