Transfusing blood safely and appropriately

SUMMARY POINTS Use of evidence based guidelines minimises the adverse effects of transfusion and wastage of products, which are donated by volunteers, costly, and sometimes in short supply Consider red cell transfusion only if haemoglobin is 80 g/L or less in haemodynamically stable patients, including asymptomatic patients with cardiovascular disease Patients with platelet counts greater than 50×109/L or an international normalised ratio less than 2.0 can safely undergo invasive procedures without correcting the abnormal laboratory values Use alternative approaches to patient management to reduce or eliminate the need for transfusion The safe and appropriate use of blood is facilitated by the use of information technology throughout the transfusion process Obtain and document informed consent for blood transfusion, including the risks, benefits, and alternatives