The increasing use of emergency group O red blood cells and its effect on blood inventories

Abstract

Background: National usage of RhD negative red cells (RBC) has increased to unsustainable levels over the last few years. O RhD negative has traditionally been used for all emergency transfusions, despite providing no additional safety benefit to most emergency transfusion recipients. Whilst only 6.5% of the Australian population are O RhD negative, its use has represented as high as 18% of total RBC issued to Australian health providers. Demand for O RhD negative RBCs does not reflect actual need due to the concept of it being the ‘universal blood group’ and suitable for transfusion to any recipient ABO RhD group.