The cost of transfusing a unit of red blood cells: a costing model for Canadian hospital use

Background No direct and thorough accounting of costs related to packed red blood cells (PRBC s) has occurred in recent Canadian history. Our study sought to determine the cost accrued for a unit of PRBC within a Canadian hospital related to the inventory management, storage, testing, issuing and administration of the product. Methods An eight‐step costing model was developed to capture associated costs from the time of receipt at the hospital to the time of transfusion to a patient. Personnel, consumables and capital equipment costs within each step of the model were assessed using activity‐based accounting methods and German cost accounting principles. Results Based on 10, 475 units, total in‐hospital cost per unit of PRBC was 243·10. Personnel, consumables and capital costs contributed 77·54%, 19·86% and 2·60% to this cost, respectively. Conclusion This study's in‐hospital costs of 243·10 summed with the 423·00 acquisition costs per unit PRBC from the blood supplier place the complete societal costs of one unit PRBC s at 666·10. This value is comparable, but lower than the majority of studies in the United States and Europe examining the societal costs of PRBC s.