What is the environmental impact of a blood transfusion? A life cycle assessment of transfusion services across England.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare activities significantly contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Blood transfusions require complex, interlinked processes to collect, manufacture, and supply. Their contribution to healthcare emissions and avenues for mitigation is unknown. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a life cycle assessment (LCA) for red blood cell (RBC) transfusions across England where 1.36 million units are transfused annually. We defined the process flow with seven categories: donation, transportation, manufacturing, testing, stockholding, hospital transfusion, and disposal. We used direct measurements, manufacturer data, bioengineering databases, and surveys to assess electrical power usage, embodied carbon in disposable materials and reagents, and direct emissions through transportation, refrigerant leakage, and disposal. RESULTS: The central estimate of carbon footprint per unit of RBC transfused was 7.56 kg CO2 equivalent (CO2eq). The largest contribution was from transportation (2.8 kg CO2eq, 36% of total). The second largest was from hospital transfusion processes (1.9 kg CO2eq, 26%), driven mostly by refrigeration. The third largest was donation (1.3 kg CO2eq, 17%) due to the plastic blood packs. Total emissions from RBC transfusion are ~10.3 million kg CO2eq/year. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to estimate GHG emissions attributable to RBC transfusion, quantifying the contributions of each stage of the process. Primary areas for mitigation may include electric vehicles for the blood service fleet, improving the energy efficiency of refrigeration, using renewable sources of electricity, changing the plastic of blood packs, and using methods of disposal other than incineration.

Therapeutic plasma exchange in the management of acute complications of sickle cell disease: A single centre experience.

Sickle cell disease results in systemic inflammation even at steady state and this is accentuated during acute crises. The plasma of affected patients contains several proinflammatory cytokines as well as adhesion molecules and prothrombotic factors. This environment promotes further red cell sickling while many of these substances can cause direct tissue toxicity and end-organ damage. Even though red cell transfusion, whether simple or exchange, is the mainstay of treatment of severe acute complications, addition of therapeutic plasma exchange could potentially provide additional benefit by removing such harmful substances. Here, we describe two cases where therapeutic plasma exchange was used. The first involved a patient with the acute chest syndrome who despite adequate red cell exchange remained significantly hypoxic and in severe pain. We therefore proceeded to perform plasma exchange; this led to rapid clinical improvement and resolution of his symptoms. The second case involved a patient with intractable chest wall pain and impending acute chest syndrome; this patient also had a past history of hyperhaemolysis. The patient underwent therapeutic plasma exchange with very rapid resolution of the pain, avoidance of any respiratory deterioration and full recovery. We also give a brief summary of our previous experience using plasma exchange in patients with sickle cell disease. Plasma exchange was well tolerated with no adverse events in all cases we have treated, led to rapid resolution of pain irrespective of primary indication and in the majority of cases to a favourable clinical outcome.

Setting priorities for research in blood donation and transfusion: outcome of the James Lind Alliance priority-setting partnership.

BACKGROUND: How do we decide which topics should be prioritized for research? The need for a robust process for prioritization by key stakeholders, and not just the researchers themselves, was recognized by the James Lind Alliance. A methodology has been established to enable clinicians, patients, and caregivers to identify and prioritize important uncertainties for research in different health areas. This methodology was applied to transfusion medicine to help focus the research agenda in this field. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A steering group was formed in 2015 comprising four donor/patient/caregiver representatives and six clinicians and was supported by an information scientist and James Lind Alliance representatives. The scope of the priority-setting partnership included uncertainties from blood donation through transfusion but excluded laboratory aspects of transfusion and specialist blood products. Three methods were used to identify the top 10 research priorities: two widely disseminated online surveys, a search of existing literature, and a final prioritization workshop. RESULTS: There were 408 respondents to the first survey contributing 817 questions, which were refined into 54 indicative questions that had not already been answered by previous research. Respondents to a second survey were asked to select the three questions they believed to be the most important. The 30 most popular research questions were then brought to a workshop of donors, patients, and caregivers to produce the "top 10." CONCLUSION: This prioritized list should be of considerable value to both researchers and funding bodies when considering what research should be conducted in transfusion medicine.

Post-partum haemorrhage and tranexamic acid: a global issue.

Post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) remains the major cause of maternal death worldwide, with the overwhelming majority of bleeding deaths occurring in low income countries. These bleeding deaths occur due to a complex network of biological and socioeconomic factors, including changes to haemostasis and fibrinolysis during pregnancy. Tranexamic acid (TxA) has been shown to reduce death in bleeding trauma patients safely and is effective in reducing bleeding in surgical patients, however its role in PPH has been less well established. We discuss the impact of the recently published World Maternal Antifibrinolytic (WOMAN) trial, which demonstrated a significant reduction in bleeding deaths (Risk ratio 0·81) in women with PPH who received intravenous TxA compared to those receiving placebo. There were no increases in post-partum thrombotic rates in mothers or breast-fed babies. This trial has shown that intravenous TxA can be used safely and effectively to treat PPH, and should be implemented widely to reduce death due to PPH. However, for the full benefit of TxA to be fully realised in resource-constrained settings, the effectiveness of oral or topical administration and/or pre-emptive dosing need to be investigated.

Computerised decision support systems to promote appropriate use of blood products.

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effect of computerised decision support systems (DSSs) on transfusion practice.

Is undertransfusion a problem in modern clinical practice?

BACKGROUND: Significant progress has been made in reducing inappropriate transfusion of blood products. However, there is also a need to monitor for their underutilization in patients who would benefit from transfusion. This study aimed to develop a method to monitor for undertransfusion and conduct a preliminary examination of whether it is a problem in modern clinical practice. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All patients with a hemoglobin (Hb) concentration below 6 g/dL or platelet (PLT) count of fewer than 10 × 10(9) /L were identified during a 1-month period in an academic medical center in the United Kingdom. Patients who were transfused within 72 hours of the low reading were excluded from further analysis. For all other patients, records were examined against predefined criteria to ascertain whether the reason for nonadministration of transfusion was justified. RESULTS: During the study period there were 63 eligible Hb readings and 130 eligible PLT counts in 93 patients. Of these, 36 patients were not transfused within 72 hours of the low reading. The majority of nonadministration (n = 28) was justified by either an additional Hb or an additional PLT count on repeat sampling being above the transfusion threshold or the transfusion being medically inappropriate. No documentation was found to indicate that any cases of nonadministration of blood were unjustified. CONCLUSION: This study did not find that patients with low Hb readings or PLT counts were inappropriately undertransfused. However, systems similar to those described in this study should be developed to monitor for inappropriate undertransfusion as well as continuing efforts to monitor for and reduce inappropriate overtransfusion.

Implementation of a clinical decision support system improves compliance with restrictive transfusion policies in hematology patients.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence for restrictive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion but compliance with recommended transfusion triggers is variable. A clinical decision support system (CDSS) has been found to reduce unnecessary transfusion in some clinical settings when physicians are advised they are noncompliant with the current guidelines. The objective was to assess the impact of a CDSS for blood product ordering in patients with hematologic disease. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All platelet (PLT) and RBC transfusions were identified in hematology patients in three periods: before (baseline), immediately after (CDSS1), and 7 months after implementation of CDSS for blood ordering (CDSS2). Compliance with the recommended transfusion triggers was monitored for all orders made by CDSS or non-CDSS methods during each period. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients with a variety of hematologic diagnoses received 502 RBC and 572 PLT transfusions during the three periods with no significant difference in 1) the mean number of transfusions per patient, 2) the proportion of patients transfused, 3) posttransfusion hemoglobin (Hb), and 4) pre- and posttransfusion PLT count, although mean pretransfusion Hb decreased. The proportion of noncompliant RBC and PLT transfusion requests improved from baseline to CDSS2 (69.0% to 43.4% p ≤ 0.005 for RBCs; and 41.9% to 31.2%, p = 0.16 for PLT) when all orders were compared, although this improvement was not significant at the 5% level for PLTs. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of CDSS for blood product ordering supported by education and physician feedback in the hematology setting had an immediate impact on improving compliance with guidelines for restrictive transfusion practice.

The acute pain crisis in sickle cell disease: What can be done to improve outcomes?

The acute pain crisis (APC) is the commonest complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). Severe episodes may require treatment in hospital with strong opioid analgesic drugs, combined with additional supportive care measures. Guidelines for APC management have been produced over the past two decades gathering evidence from published studies, expert opinion, and patient perspective. Unfortunately, reports from multiple sources indicate that guidelines are often not followed, and that acute care in emergency departments and on acute medical wards is suboptimal. It is important to understand what leads to this breakdown in health care, and to identify evidence-based interventions which could be implemented to improve care. This review focuses on recently published articles as well as information about on-going clinical trials. Aspects of care which could potentially make a difference to patient experience include availability and accessibility of individual care plans agreed between patient and treating specialist, innovative means of delivering initial opioids to reduce time to first analgesia, and availability of a specialist unit away from the ED, where expert care can be delivered in a more compassionate environment. The current evidence of improved outcomes and health economic advantage with these interventions is inadequate, and this is hampering their implementation into health care systems.

Rate of Dental Extractions in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder associated with chronic haemolysis and anaemia, recurrent episodes of pain and potentially multisystem end-organ damage. A lot less is known about the dental health of these patients. AIMS: To explore the incidence of severe dental disease leading to dental extraction in our sickle cell population. PATIENT/METHODS: We undertook an audit looking at the rate of dental extractions, as a composite marker of severe dental disease, among sickle cell patients over a 3-month period. The patients were unselected and approached during routine assessments. We analysed both clinical and laboratory data to look for possible associations between dental disease and sickle cell characteristics. RESULTS: 177 patients were interviewed between February 2022 and April 2022. Overall, 71% of the patients had at least one dental extraction with a median number of teeth extracted of three and a median age at first extraction of 26. More than half of the patients stated that they do not have regular dental check-ups. There were no significant associations with the severity of sickle cell phenotype, baseline Hb or markers of haemolysis. CONCLUSION: A large number of patients with sickle cell disease require dental extractions at a relatively young age. The lack of any correlation with disease severity suggests that poor engagement with dental services and the underestimation of the importance of dental health are the main factors behind the increased prevalence of severe dental disease. Actively enquiring about dental problems should be part of any routine consultation with these patients, both in primary and specialist care.

The safety of modern intravenous iron infusions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - a review of the literature.

Objectives: To assess the evidence for the safety of intravenous iron infusions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in June 2019 on PubMed and Cochrane databases for eligible studies.Results: There is significant evidence of safety and efficacy of intravenous iron in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using newer, less immunogenic iron preparations, such as iron sucrose and low molecular weight iron dextran preparations.Discussion: Iron deficiency anaemia has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but the use of intravenous iron is generally avoided due to concerns raisedin older studies using high molecular weight iron dextran of exacerbating the disease. However, such concerns have not been confirmed in more recent studies using newer preparations.Conclusion: We find significant evidence of safety and efficacy in more recent studies of larger cohorts of patients using newer, less immunogenic iron preparations.