PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SAFETY OF BLOOD TRANSFUSION AND VIRTUAL TRANSFUSION LABORATORY

Abstract

Background. Even though blood transfusion is a relatively safe form of therapy, because of the eventual administrative errors in the transfusion chain between the blood donor and the recipient of blood, transfusion errors still occur. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure an utmost extent of safety and reliability of all transfusion related procedures. The safety of blood transfusion can be improved by preventive actions, i.e. implementation of the total quality management concept, haemovigilance and virtual transfusion laboratory. In the resulting system, the information web, robotics, computer sciences and communication technologies ensure safe and reliable identification of the patients, blood donors, corresponding test samples and blood products. Apart form this; the modern technologies enable the automation of laboratory testing, the integrity of laboratory results and enable an optimal use of blood. Conclusions. For an improved transfusion safety in Slovenia, adoption of corresponding prevention as well as haemovigilance is necessary. Identification errors can be prevented by implementation of the wristbands systems with the code bars for the tagging of the patient and his biological samples, whereas the administrative errors in the blood bank and transfusion laboratory can be prevented by implementation of information systems and automation. We assume that the virtual transfusion laboratory will become an integral part of the new Slovenian transfusion web and will speed up, unify and simplify today’s methods of ordering and administering blood products. To the attending physician, it will enable the choice of optimal transfusion therapy schedule and at the same time, it will enable the supervision of individual orders, deviations and indications, all of which is needed in order to analyse and improve the quality and the costs of the treatment. These services represent the first obligatory step for the modernisation of the transfusion medicine and accordingly, of the Slovenian health system in sense of the total quality assurance.