Abstract
Background and objective The objective of any blood transfusion service is not only to provide sufficient blood and blood components but also to supply zero-risk, efficient transfusion with minimal wastage through the implementation of a quality management system (QMS). This study aimed to analyze utilization patterns and monitor National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH)-mandated quality indicators (QIs) as performance tools related to blood transfusion services at a tertiary care hospital in South India. Materials and methods The study involved a retrospective cross-sectional analysis that spanned a year from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024, at the Department of Transfusion Medicine, Blood Center at the hospital. The information was gathered, and any deviation from the benchmark value was analyzed. The root cause analysis (RCA) of the deviation was performed, and corrective and preventive measures (CAPAs) were implemented Results There were about 2813 blood donations during the study period: 2641 (94%) donations by voluntary donors and 172 (6%) from replacement donors. The total number of blood and blood components prepared was 7950 units. The total number of crossmatches performed was 4530, and the total number of components transfused was 7705. The analysis of utilization patterns showed that the crossmatch/transfusion (C/T) ratio was 0.8, the transfusion probability was 100%, and the transfusion index (TI) was 1.7. All these indices revealed that there is efficient utilization of blood components in our hospital. The analysis of NABH-mandated key performance indicators (KPIs) revealed the following findings: rate of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs): 31 (1.1%); adverse transfusion reaction rate (ATRR): 20 (0.3%); percentage of components issued: 99.9%; adverse donor reaction (ADR) rate: six (0.2%); donor deferral rate (DDR): 192 (6.4%); wastage rate among units issued: 17 (0.2%); and wastage rate among various components - whole blood (WB): 0%, packed red blood cells (PRBCs): 0.1%, fresh frozen plasma (FFP): 0.3%, platelets: 20%, and cryoprecipitate: 0%. The turnaround time (TAT) for elective cases was 30 minutes, and that for emergency cases was also 30 minutes. Conclusions The regular analysis of pattern utilization of blood and blood components and monitoring of NABH-mandated KPIs at a hospital will help identify problems, perform root cause analysis, which facilitates necessary corrective and preventive actions, thereby paving the way for promoting high standards of quality in all aspects of patient care and hospital transfusion services.