Audit of Transfusion Procedures in 660 Hospitals

Abstract Context.—Hemolytic transfusion reactions are often the result of failure to follow established identification and monitoring procedures. Objective.—To measure the frequencies with which health care workers completed specific transfusion procedures required for laboratory and blood bank accreditation. Design.—In 2 separate studies, participants in the College of American Pathologists Q-Probes laboratory quality improvement program audited nonemergent red blood cell transfusions prospectively and completed questionnaires profiling their institutions' transfusion policies. Setting and Participants.—A total of 660 institutions, predominantly in the United States, at which transfusion medicine services are provided. Main Outcome Measures.—The percentages of transfusions for which participants completed 4 specific components of patient and blood unit identifications, and for which participants monitored vital signs at 3 specific intervals during transfusions. Results.—In the first study, all components...