Worker’s life saved after emergency blood transfusion

Over the past ten years, ‘Patient Blood Management’ (PBM) has been introduced across medical institutions worldwide, including in Australia, United Kingdom and Japan. Dr Lau explains that there are three important principles. First, prescribe medication to help speed up blood production before blood transfusion; second, minimise surgical blood loss and bleeding of patient, such as adopting injection; and third, when blood transfusion is necessary, the healthcare team should consider using one unit of blood first and decide further treatment based on the clinical condition of patient.

Besides, to optimise clinical blood use in trauma patients, massive blood transfusion protocol during resuscitation is adopted in five HA Trauma Centres. Trauma Nurse Coordinator of Trauma Centres at Prince of Wales Hospital, Janice Yeung illustrates that the healthcare team will assess patient’s clinical conditions including blood pressure, haemoglobin level, Glasgow Coma Score, heart rate, displaced pelvic fracture, abdominal bleeding and base deficit. ‘If a patient is given a score more than six out of 10 in the assessment, it is estimated that 10 units of blood products will be used within 24 hours. “A construction worker suffered from multiple fractures and serious head injury after a fall from height was saved by transfusing 24 units of blood products. Timely and appropriate bleeding control and use of blood benefit patient’s recovery,” she adds.