An international investigation into O red blood cell unit administration in hospitals: the GRoup O Utilization Patterns (GROUP) study

Michelle P Zeller, Rebecca Barty, Astrid Aandahl, Torunn O Apelseth, Jeannie Callum, Nancy M Dunbar, Allahna Elahie, Henk Garritsen, Helen Hancock, José Mauro Kutner, Belinda Manukian, Shuichi Mizuta, Makoto Okuda, Monica B Pagano, Ryszard Pogłód, Kylie Rushford, Kathleen Selleng, Claess Henning Sørensen, Ulrik Sprogøe, Julie StavesThorsten Weiland, Silvano Wendel, Erica M Wood, Leo van de Watering, Maria van Wordragen-Vlaswinkel, Alyssa Ziman, Jaap Jan Zwaginga, Michael F Murphy, Nancy M Heddle, Mark H Yazer, Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Transfusion of group O blood to non-O recipients, or transfusion of D- blood to D+ recipients, can result in shortages of group O or D- blood, respectively. This study investigated RBC utilization patterns at hospitals around the world and explored the context and policies that guide ABO blood group and D type selection practices.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study on transfusion data from the 2013 calendar year. This study included a survey component that asked about hospital RBC selection and transfusion practices and a data collection component where participants submitted information on RBC unit disposition including blood group and D type of unit and recipient. Units administered to recipients of unknown ABO or D group were excluded.

RESULTS: Thirty-eight hospitals in 11 countries responded to the survey, 30 of which provided specific RBC unit disposition data. Overall, 11.1% (21,235/191,397) of group O units were transfused to non-O recipients; 22.6% (8777/38,911) of group O D- RBC units were transfused to O D+ recipients, and 43.2% (16,800/38,911) of group O D- RBC units were transfused to recipients that were not group O D-. Disposition of units and hospital transfusion policy varied within and across hospitals of different sizes, with transfusion of group O D- units to non-group O D- patients ranging from 0% to 33%.

CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of group O and D- RBC units were transfused to compatible, nonidentical recipients, although the frequency of this practice varied across sites.

Original languageEnglish
JournalTransfusion
Volume57
Issue number10
Pages (from-to)2329–2337
ISSN0041-1132
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Journal Article

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