Transfusion medicine handbook

1. Introduction

1.3 Clinical Practice Guidelines

Australasian guidelines are available for the administration and appropriate use of blood components and fractionated products. These have been developed by the Australian & New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion (ANZSBT) and the Australian National Blood Authority (NBA) and supported by specialist colleges and medical specialists of both Australia and New Zealand.

The NBA Patient Blood Management Guidelines, approved by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), cover the use of blood components (red blood cells, platelets, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate) and are available from the NBA website. (www.blood.gov.au/pbm-guidelines)

Transfusion guidelines can be found in Chapter 4: Blood Components. Other sources of information that may prove useful are listed in Table 1.1.

However, the most important factors driving improved clinical quality reside within New Zealand hospitals (both Te Whatu Ora and private). Evidence from the New Zealand National Haemovigilance Programme and similar programmes overseas, such as the UK’s Serious Hazards of Transfusion scheme (SHOT), shows that most serious errors relating to transfusion practice arise from administrative and clerical errors, most of which are avoidable.      

Table 1.1: Sources of Information