Investigation of the Transfusion Practices in Surgical Patients in Turkey

Patient Blood Management (PBM) is an evidence based multidisciplinary approach for the care of patients who may need blood transfusion. The aim of PBM is achieving better patient outcomes by focusing on the patients' own blood as a source.

To date PBM is considered "good transfusion practice" and is being implemented in a growing number of countries. The Turkish Society of Anesthesiologists PBM Task Force is working on this subject since 4 years and decided to conduct a study. Before starting a PBM program, the transfusion practices of clinicians working at diverse surgical fields; differences between current transfusion practices and PBM strategies; the areas for improvement and the obstacles that could prevent change could be identified with this study. Data collection will also serve to identify the current situation as a reference and to control the achievement of the PBM's aim: improving clinical outcomes. These data will be refered as The Turkish National Perioperative Transfusion Study (TULIP TS) data.

The aim of this study is to describe the transfusion practices in patients undergoing major surgery in Turkey.

The study evaluates i. The perioperative transfusion rates of RBCs, FFP and platelets. ii. With which reasons the anesthesiologists decide to transfuse a patient (co morbidities of the patients, physiologic transfusion triggers, hemoglobin trigger, uncontrolled bleeding, on request from surgeon etc.).

iii. The relation of transfusion and the patients co-morbidity index, the P POSSUM score and SORT score; anesthesia methods; monitorisation methods (hemodynamic, coagulation); amount of bleeding; type of surgery; type of hospital.