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Abstract Aim Transfusion of blood products is commonly indicated in surgical patients, especially in patients with gastro-intestinal bleeding, gastro-intestinal cancers, and trauma patients. However, the documentation regarding blood transfusion in these patients often does not meet the guidelines. The aim of this clinical audit was to improve the blood transfusion (BT) related documentation in patients of general surgery (GS) at a district general hospital (DGH) in the United Kingdom, in accordance with the national guidelines (Administration of blood components: a British Society for Haematology Guideline) and the local trust guidelines. Method For the 1st-cycle of the audit, we did retrospective study of all adult patients admitted under GS in our DGH from 1st July 2023 to 15th August 2023 (6weeks) who received BT, and their electronic records were assessed with regards to documentation regarding the following criteria: decision to transfuse, patient's consent and understanding, post-transfusion effect and discharge notes. Following this, we had a discussion with the junior doctors in the department, who do these documentation, to make them aware of the BT guidelines, and to improve adherence. The 2nd-cycle included retrospective data collection from 1st September 2023 to 15th October 2023 (6 weeks). Results BT-documentation during the 2nd-cycle showed significant improvement to adherence above 80% in most of the criteria where it needed improvement in the 1st-cycle. Conclusion This clinical audit successfully improved the BT-documentation adherence to the guidelines, showing that through simple educational methods, the documentation practices could be improved significantly. Our plans for subsequent improvement includes posters in the departmental resource room to increase the awareness, and to re-audit in December 2023.
Pal et al. (Sun,) studied this question.