Blood Transfusion and Associated Factors in Pregnant Women Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southeast Iran

Effective blood transfusion is a life-saving practice in obstetrics and gynecology emergencies that can prevent blood product wastage in hospitals.

This study was performed to evaluate the appropriateness of the use of blood products in pregnant women in a tertiary care hospital in Zahedan, southeast Iran.

This cross-sectional study was carried out from September 2019 to March 2020 to assess the patterns of blood utilization in a tertiary care hospital in Zahedan, Iran. Blood bank registries and the data of 1,500 pregnant women were used for data analysis, using blood transfusion indices, including cross-matched to transfusion (C/T) ratio, transfusion probability (T), and transfusion index (TI).

Out of 1,064 units of requested blood products, 581 (54.6%) were cross-matched, and 774 (72.7%) were transfused to patients. The blood transfusion indices of C/T, T%, and TI were 2.11, 48.48%, and 0.76, respectively. The transfusion rate was 6.2%, and the commonest associated obstetrics complication requiring transfusion was uterine atony (32.2%), followed by anemia (17.2%). There was a statistically significant relationship between the type of delivery, uterine and placental problems, coagulation disorders during pregnancy, number of deliveries, and residence place, and the probability of blood transfusion (P > 0.05).

The overall blood utilization indices were encouraging; however, the proportion of blood wastage was relatively high. Regular auditing is needed to optimize the use of blood and blood products in obstetrics and gynecology departments.