Step by step transfusion timeline and its challenges in trauma: A retrospective study in a level one trauma center.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic shock is the leading cause of preventable early death in trauma patients. Transfusion management is guided by international guidelines promoting early and aggressive transfusion strategies. This study aimed to describe transfusion timelines in a trauma center and to identify key points to performing early and efficient transfusions. METHODS: This is a monocentric retrospective study of 108 severe trauma patients, transfused within the first 48 h and hospitalized in an intensive care unit between January 2017 and May 2019. RESULTS: One hundred and eight patients were transfused with 1250 labile blood products. Half of these labile blood products were transfused within 3 h of admission and consumed by 26 patients requiring massive transfusion (≥4 red blood cells [RBC] within 1 h). Among these, the median delay from patient's admission to labile blood products prescription was -11 min (-34 to -1); from admission to delivery of labile blood products was 1 min (-20 to 16); and from admission to first transfusion was 20 min (7-37) for RBC, 26 min (13-38) for plasma, and 72 min (51-103) for platelet concentrates. The anticipated prescription of labile blood products and the use of massive transfusion packs and lyophilized plasma units were associated with earlier achievement of high transfusion ratios. CONCLUSION: This study provides detailed data on the transfusion timelines and composition, from prescription to initial transfusion. Transfusion anticipation, use of preconditioned transfusion packs including platelets, and lyophilized plasma allow rapid and high-ratio transfusion practices in severe trauma patients.

Butyrylcholinesterase deficiency.

Butyrylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8; BChE) is a sister enzyme of acetylcholinesterase. Though BChE lacks obvious physiological functions, it is of toxicological and pharmacological importance in detoxifying or catabolising ester-containing drugs. Furthermore, individuals deficient in BChE appear asymptomatic, apart from a heightened sensitivity to the muscle relaxants suxamethonium and mivacurium, two BChE substrates used as myorelaxant. Although many acquired conditions may affect BChE activity, BChE deficiency is mainly due to mutations in the BCHE gene (OMIM 177400). Currently, more than 70 natural mutations have been documented in human BCHE. They have an adverse effect on BChE activity by affecting the catalytic functioning or the protein expression. However, the atypical variant (rs1799807) is the most frequently involved in prolonged apnea.

[Internal audit in medical laboratory: what means of control for an effective audit process?]. / Audit interne dans un laboratoire de biologie médicale: quels moyens de maîtrise pour un processus d'audit efficace ?

To prepare the French Accreditation Committee (COFRAC) visit for initial certification of our medical laboratory, our direction evaluated its quality management system (QMS) and all its technical activities. This evaluation was performed owing an internal audit. This audit was outsourced. Auditors had an expertise in audit, a whole knowledge of biological standards and were independent. Several nonconformities were identified at that time, including a lack of control of several steps of the internal audit process. Hence, necessary corrective actions were taken in order to meet the requirements of standards, in particular, the formalization of all stages, from the audit program, to the implementation, review and follow-up of the corrective actions taken, and also the implementation of the resources needed to carry out audits in a pre-established timing. To ensure an optimum control of each step, the main concepts of risk management were applied: process approach, root cause analysis, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA). After a critical analysis of our practices, this methodology allowed us to define our "internal audit" process, then to formalize it and to follow it up, with a whole documentary system.