Blood Use According to Diagnoses in Hospitalized Adults of Ajou University Hospital

Abstract

Background :There is paucity of data on the use of blood and its products with regard to the diagnoses of recipients in Korea. The objective of this study is to report the characteristics of the recipients and the usage in relation to diagnoses among Koreans. Method :We assessed the blood usage of adult patients (18 years or older) in a tertiary teaching hospital during the past 2 years (1998-2000). The red blood cells (RBCs), fresh frozen plasmas(FFPs) and platelets (PLTs, platelet concentrates and apheresis platelets) were evaluated in relation to the characteristics of the recipients and the discharge diagnoses according to the International Classification of Diseases (10th Ed). Data were extracted from the hospital information system. Result :Approximately twenty percent of the hospitalized patients were transfused. RBCs, FFPs and PLTs were transfused 18.9%, 4.8% and 3.2% of hospitalized patients, respectively. Fifty-six percent of 54,049 RBCs and 64.9% of 19,549 FFPs were transfused in the patients with nonhematological neoplasms, disorders of the digestive system, injury and poisoning. Sixty-two percent of 50,621 PLTs were transfused in the patients with hematological and non-hematological neoplasms and disorders of the digestive system. Conclusion :This survey showed the trends of the transfusion practice as different from those for Caucasians and the usage of FFPs and PLTs was restricted for some recipients. These results could help in predicting the blood needs and medical costs for a variety of patients.