Has the trend of declining blood transfusions in the United States ended? Findings of the 2019 National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey

Introduction Previous iterations of National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey (NBCUS) have demonstrated declines in blood collection and transfusion in the United States since 2008, including declines of 3.0% and 6.1% in red blood cell (RBC) collections and transfusions between 2015 and 2017, respectively. This study describes results of the 2019 NBCUS. Methods The survey was distributed to all US blood collection centers, all hospitals performing ≥1000 surgeries annually, and a 40% random sample of hospitals performing 100–999 surgeries annually. Weighting and imputation were used to generate national estimates for units of blood and components collected, distributed, transfused, and outdated. Results In 2019, 11,590,000 RBC units were collected (95% confidence interval [CI], 11,151,000–12,029,000 units), a 5.1% decrease compared with 2017, while 10,852,000 RBC units were transfused (95% CI, 10,444–11,259 units), a 2.5% increase from 2017. Between 2017 and 2019, platelet distributions (2,508,000 units; 95% CI, 2,375,000–2,641,000 units) decreased by 2.0%, and plasma distributions (2,679,000 units; 95% CI, 2,525,000–2,833,000 units) decreased by 16.5%. During the same time period, platelet transfusions (2,243,000 units; 95% CI, 1,846,000–2,147,000 units) increased by 15.8% and plasma transfusions (2,185,000 units; 95% CI, 2,068,000–2,301,000 units) decreased by 8.0%. Conclusion Utilization of RBC in the United States might have reached a nadir. Between 2017 and 2019, RBC collections declined while RBC transfusions did not significantly change, suggesting a narrowing between blood supply and demand. Monitoring national blood collection and utilization data is integral to understanding trends in blood supply safety and availability.