ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This regional study aims to evaluate the transfusion knowledge of midwives in 22 Brittany maternity hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicentre, descriptive and comparative study used a questionnaire consisting in 16 theoretical questions about transfusion and questions being carried out. The analysis used the rate of correct answers and a pondered coefficient has been assigned to the different questions to evaluate the level of midwife knowledge. RESULTS: Twenty-two maternity hospitals participated in the study and 238 returned questionnaires could be analysed, a return rate of 36%. The rate of correct answers was between 5 and 98% depending on the questions; for example, the rate of correct answers of the ultimate control's reading varied between 64 and 98% and revealed that 5 to 7% of midwives would validate an incompatible transfusion. The average score was 31/50 with a minimum of 7/50 and a maximum of 44/50. Three statically significant links have been found according to the last year of training specific to blood transfusion, the graduation year and the level of maternity. CONCLUSION: This study revealed an insufficient knowledge of the transfusion among midwives and raised prospects, which could lead to an improvement of training courses offered to midwives.