Improving Turnaround Time for the Issue of Blood Components in Case of Emergency

Background and Objectives: During a surgical or medical emergency, the timely issue of crossmatched blood is crucial for efficient and satisfactory patient revival. Turnaround time (TAT) is the duration taken from the time blood requests, and samples are received in the blood center until the blood is crossmatched and available for blood transfusion. The study aimed to audit the TAT in our center, analyze and study the factors delaying TAT, and formulate plans to improve it by implementing corrective measures. These actions would directly or indirectly impact the outcomes of the delivery of patient care in emergency services. Methods: A record-based prospective study was performed in a tertiary care teaching hospital with trauma and all emergency services in Southwestern India. TAT was calculated for all emergency blood requests received over 16 months in a systematic sampling method. Cases with prolonged TATs, where the product issue TAT exceeded the internal policy and quality indicator standards (15 min for emergency packed red blood cells issue), were further evaluated for causes of delay and analyzed at frequent intervals. Results: The mean TAT at the start of the study was 17.1 min (standard deviation [SD] 1.05 min), gradually reducing to 14.9 min (SD 0.62 min) by the end of the study, and it was statistically significant with P = 0.01. Conclusion: It is essential to deduce the causes for delayed TAT and work on those variables amenable to modifications based on priority to improve the TAT regarding pretransfusion testing and the issue of blood products, which is crucial in emergency services.