Appropriateness of blood transfusion and physicians' education: a continuous challenge for Hospital Transfusion Committees?

Blood transfusion is an essential part of patients' care. The transfusion of blood components plays a fundamental role in the management of various pathologies and is sometimes a life-saving treatment. Blood is an expensive and limited resource. Over the last 20 years there has been a progressive increase in demands for this product, mainly as a result of the advances in oncohaematological therapies and the increase in major surgery1.
Blood transfusion does, however, carry a potential risk of acute or delayed complications and transfusion-transmitted infections and should be prescribed only to treat conditions associated with significant morbidity or mortality that cannot be prevented or managed effectively by other means2....


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