Department of Health

The clinical use of blood and blood products is appropriate, and strategies are used to reduce the risks associated with transfusion.

National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS)

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards hospital guide 2017External Link provides overarching patient blood management/transfusion-related guidelines, policies and procedures are found in the clinical governance section - 7.1.

In this section are resources to assist health services address the actions in this criterion, which are:

  • Optimising and conserving a patient’s own blood - information can be found in the section marked patient blood management - 7.4
  • Documenting - 7.5
  • Prescribing and administering blood and blood products - 7.6
  • Reporting adverse events - 7.7 and 7.8.

Optimising and conserving patient’s own blood 7.4

Resources for this section of the standards can be found on our patient blood management page:

  • The examples of charts, checklists and forms relating to the administration of blood products are used to promote complete transfusion documentation.
  • These can assist health services to support processes for prescribing and clinical use of blood and blood products.

Documenting 7.5

Resources available include:

Austin Health - Blood Prescription and Administration Form - a comprehensive form developed by Austin Health. It is an example of a form used for blood and blood product prescription and administration, consent documentation and adverse reaction reporting as well as providing guidance on blood administration safety, and the pre-transfusion checking requirements.

Barwon Health - Blood product prescription form - developed by Barwon Health, this prescription form includes a transfusion decision algorithm.

Royal Melbourne Hospital - Blood component prescription (includes consent) 2018 - this form is the one used by Royal Melbourne Hospital prior to implementing an electronic medical record.

Royal Melbourne Hospital - Blood order and administration form 2020 (7.5 and 7.6) - used when the electronic medical record is not available.

Western Health - Blood and blood product consent and prescription form - 2016 (7.3, 7.5 and 7.6) - developed by Western Health the form is used for prescription, administration and documenting consent.

Prescribing and administering blood and blood products 7.6

Useful resources include:

  • The ABCD of blood sample collection: a poster showing the principals of safely collecting a pre-transfusion blood sample. Do it once; get it right the first time!
  • The Blood Matters 30 minute 4 hour rule poster:
  • Comparing Beriplex with Prothrombinex
    • Blood Matters has developed a document comparing the new four factor prothrombin complex concentrate Beriplex with the soon to be discontinued three factor prothrombin complex concentrate.

Reporting and adverse events 7.7 and 7.8

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood - Classification and incidence of adverse effectsExternal Link (7.7 and 78) - provides information for clinicians on adverse events and incidents. This includes the classification of transfusion reactions and estimated incidence.

Reviewed 12 June 2024

Health.vic

Contact details

Blood Matters Program Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

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