Assessing transfusion practice in elective surgical patients: a baseline audit

Perioperative Transfusion Practices in Adults Having Noncardiac Surgery

Surgical patients are often transfused to manage bleeding and anemia. Best practices for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion administration in patient having noncardiac surgery remains controversial and a robust evaluation and description of perioperative transfusion practices is lacking. We characterized perioperative hemoglobin concentrations and transfusion practices from the prospective VISION cohort which included 39,222 patients aged ≥45 years who had inpatient noncardiac surgery. Variations in transfusion practices were analyzed using hierarchical mixed models, and associations with mortality and complications were evaluated using a nested frailty survival model. Within the cohort, 16.1% (n = 6296) were given perioperative RBC transfusions, with the fraction declining from 20% to 13% over the 6-year study period. The proportion of patients transfused varied by surgery type from 6.4% for low-risk operations (i.e., minor surgery) to 31.5% for orthopedic surgeries. Variations were largely associated with patient hemoglobin concentrations, but also with center (range: 3.7%-27.3%) and country (0.4%-25.3%). Even after adjusting for baseline hemoglobin, comorbidities and type of surgery, both center and country were significant sources of variation in transfusion practices. Among transfused participants, 60.4% (n = 3728/6170) had at least 1 hemoglobin concentration ≤80g/L and 86.0% (n = 5305/6170) had at least 1 hemoglobin concentration ≤90g/L, suggesting that relatively restrictive transfusion strategies were used in most. The proportion of patients receiving at least 1 RBC transfusion declined from 20% to 13% over 6 years. However, there was considerable unexplained variation in transfusion practices.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence based bleeding management in Australian Cardiac Surgery Units: a qualitative interview study analysed with the theoretical domains framework and COM-B model

Background

Bleeding during cardiac surgery is a common complication that often requires the transfusion of blood products. The combination of bleeding and blood product transfusion incrementally increases adverse outcomes including infection and mortality. Following bleeding management guideline recommendations could assist with minimising risk but adherence is not high, and the cause for lack of adherence is not well understood. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to practicing and implementing evidenced-based intra-operative, bleeding management in Australian cardiac surgery units.

Methods

We used a qualitative descriptive design to conduct semi-structured interviews with Australian cardiac surgeons, anaesthetists and perfusionists. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was utilised to guide interviews and thematically analyse the data. Categorised data were then linked with the three key domains of the COM-B model (capability, opportunity, motivation - behaviour) to explore and understand behaviour.

Results

Seventeen interviews were completed. Nine of the 14 TDF domains emerged as significant. Analysis revealed key themes to improving capability included, standardisation, monitoring, auditing and feedback of data and cross discipline training. Opportunity for change was improved with interpersonal and interdepartmental collaboration through shared goals, and more efficient and supportive processes allowing clinicians to navigate unfamiliar business and financial models of health care. Results suggest as individuals, clinicians had the motivation to make change and healthcare organisations have an obligation and a responsibility to partner with clinicians to support change and improve goal directed best practice.

Conclusion

Using a theory-based approach it was possible to identify factors which may be positively or negatively influence clinicians ability to implement best practice bleeding management in Australian cardiac surgical units.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06269-8.

A Theoretically Informed Approach to Support the Implementation of Pre-Operative Anemia and Iron Deficiency Screening, Evaluation, and Management Pathways: Protocol for a Type Two Hybrid-Effectiveness Study

Introduction

Blood transfusions are a risk factor for increased morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. Patient blood management guidelines provide guidance to reduce risk and improve patient outcomes. They outline steps to help prevent transfusions and considerations for when deciding to transfuse. One recommendation to prevent unnecessary transfusion is to optimize patients using Pre-operative Anemia and Iron Deficiency Screening, Evaluation and Management Pathways (PAIDSEM-P). The uptake of these recommendations is highly variable, and an effective approach to implementing them in a tailored and context-specific manner remains elusive.

Method and Design

A mixed-methods, interventional study, using a type two-hybrid effectiveness-implementation design, will evaluate the impact of a change package to improve the uptake of PAIDSEM-P. The change package consists of the intervention (PAIDSEM-P) supported by theoretically informed implementation strategies. Pre- and post-implementation, retrospective health record reviews will determine the effect of the change package on provider outcomes, including compliance with guideline recommendations as measured by the proportion of patients who have the appropriate tests performed, and, if required, appropriate treatment and/or referrals. Patient outcomes will be measured by checking for any difference in the proportion of patients with anemia on the day of surgery and the proportion of patients who receive a blood transfusion during the peri-operative period. An economic evaluation will be conducted to compare health outcomes and costs. The feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of the PAIDSEM-P will be assessed using a quantitative, validated survey to measure implementation outcomes.

Discussion

Testing of implementation theory is required to advance understanding of what works, in what context, and the impact on implementation success. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a theoretically informed change package on improving the uptake of PAIDSEM-P. If successful, it will also provide a framework for health care facilities to follow when addressing other evidence-practice gaps.

Perioperative Blood Transfusions Are Associated with a Higher Incidence of Thromboembolic Events After TKA: An Analysis of 333,463 TKAs

BACKGROUND

Given the morbidity, mortality, and financial burden associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE) after TKA, orthopaedic providers continually seek to identify risk factors associated with this devastating complication. The association between perioperative transfusion status and VTE risk has not been thoroughly explored, with previous studies evaluating this relationship being limited in both generalizability and power.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

Therefore, we sought to determine whether perioperative transfusions were associated with an increased risk of (1) pulmonary embolism (PE) or (2) deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after primary TKA in a large, multi-institutional sample.

METHODS

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database was implemented for our analysis. The definitions of complications, such as DVT and PE, and risk adjustment validation is monitored by the central ACS NSQIP office to ensure participating hospitals are adhering to the same guidelines to log patients. Additionally, both preoperative and intraoperative/72 hour postoperative transfusion status is included for all patients. Therefore, ACS NSQIP was determined to be the most appropriate database for our analysis. All patients who underwent primary TKA between 2011 and 2018 were identified using Current Procedural Terminology code 27447. Primary TKAs designated as "non-elective" were excluded, thereby providing a cohort composed solely of patients undergoing unilateral primary elective TKA for further analysis. The final analysis included 333,463 patients undergoing TKA (mean age 67 ± 9 years, 62% female). Preoperative transfusions were received by < 0.01% (48 of 333,463) of the patients, while 4% (14,590 of 333,463) received a transfusion within the interim between the start of surgery up to 72 hours postoperatively. All missing values were imputed through multiple imputation by chained equation to avoid variable availability-based selection and the subsequent listwise deletion-associated bias in the estimate of parameters. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted using variables identified in a univariate model to calculate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for risk factors associated with symptomatic DVT and/or PE. For variables that maintained significance in the multivariable model, an additional model without confounders was used to generate fully adjusted ORs and 95% CIs. A propensity score matched comparison between recipients versus nonrecipients (1:1) of transfusion (preoperative and intraoperative/72 hours postoperative) was then conducted to evaluate the independent association between DVT/PE development and patients' transfusion status. Significance was determined at a p value < 0.05.

RESULTS

Adjusted multivariable regression analysis accounting for patient age, sex, race, BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class and baseline comorbidities demonstrated the absence of an association between preoperative (OR 1.75 [95% CI 0.24 to 12.7]; p = 0.58) or intraoperative/72 hours postoperative (OR 1.12 [95% CI 0.93 to 1.35]; p = 0.23) transfusions and higher odds of developing PE. Similar findings were demonstrated after propensity score matching. Although multivariable regression demonstrated the absence of an association between preoperative transfusion and the odds of developing DVT within the 30-day postoperative period (OR 1.85 [95% CI 0.43 to 8.05]; p = 0.41), intraoperative/postoperative transfusion was associated with higher odds of DVT development (OR 3.68 [95% CI 1.14 to 1.53]; p < 0.001) relative to transfusion naïve patients. However, this significance was lost after propensity score matching.

CONCLUSION

After controlling for various potential confounding variables such as ASA Class, age, anesthesia type, and BMI, the receipt of an intra- or postoperative transfusion was found to be associated with an increased risk of DVT. Our findings should encourage orthopaedic providers to strictly adhere to blood management protocols, further tighten transfusion eligibility, and adjust surgical approach and implant type to reduce the incidence of transfusion among patients with other DVT risk factors. Additionally, our findings should encourage a multidisciplinary approach to VTE prophylaxis and prevention, as well as to blood transfusion guideline adherence, among all providers of the care team.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

Preoperative Anemia and Iron Deficiency Screening, Evaluation and Management: Barrier Identification and Implementation Strategy Mapping

Introduction and aims

Patients undergoing major surgery risk significant blood loss and transfusion, which increases substantially if they have pre-existing anemia. Preoperative Anemia and Iron Deficiency Screening, Evaluation and Management Pathways (PAIDSEM-P) outline recommended blood tests and treatment to optimize patients before surgery. Documented success using PAIDSEM-P to reduce transfusions and improve patient outcomes exists, but the reporting quality of such studies is suboptimal. It remains unclear what implementation strategies best support the implementation of PAIDSEM-P.

Method

Maximum variation, purposive sampling was used to recruit a total of 15 participants, including a range of health professionals and patients for semi-structured interviews. Data analysis utilized a deductive approach informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) for barrier identification and the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) for reporting recommended implementation strategies. A modified version of the Action, Actor, Context, Target and Time (AACTT) framework assisted with conceptualisation and targeted strategy selection.

Results

The analysis revealed five barriers: access to knowledge and information, patient needs and resources, knowledge and beliefs about the intervention, available resources, and networks and communications, which had strong ERIC recommendations, including conduct educational meetings, develop educational materials, distribute educational materials, obtain and use patients/consumers family feedback, involve patients/consumers/family members, conduct a local needs assessment, access new funding, promote network weaving, and organize clinician implementation team meetings.

Conclusions

Mapping the barriers and strategies using the ERIC framework on the basis of individual actor categories proved to be useful in identifying a pragmatic number of implementation strategies that may help in supporting the utilisation of the PAIDSEM-P and other evidence-based healthcare implementation problems more broadly.

Preoperative Anemia Screening and Treatment Practices in Patients Having Total Joint Replacement Surgery: A Retrospective, Observational Audit

Background

Surgical patients with preoperative anemia are more likely to experience adverse outcomes. Patient blood management (PBM) guidelines recommend screening and treating patients for anemia preoperatively to enable optimisation before surgery. This study investigates compliance with PBM guidelines and reports the association between length of stay and transfusion risk in patients with preoperative anemia.

Study Design and Methods

A retrospective, observational, chart audit that included all patients having primary, total hip and knee replacement surgery between July-December 2018 at a tertiary, metropolitan healthcare facility.

Results

Six hundred and seven patients patients were included, 96% (n = 583) patients had blood tests available (full blood count), and 8.1% (n = 49) had iron studies. Most patients 53% (n = 324) were screened between 2 and 6 days before surgery; 14.6% (n = 85) were anaemic preoperatively and only 5.9% (n = 5) of anaemic patients received treatment. Patients who had anemia preoperatively were more likely to receive a blood transfusion (odds ratio 8.65 [95% CI 3.98-18.76]) and stayed longer in hospital (median difference = 1, χ² _LR = 17.2, df=1, p<0.007).

Conclusion

Tests ordered for patients having major surgery should include iron studies, renal function, CRP and full blood count to enable detection and classification of preoperative anemia. Timing of screening relative to surgery needs to be sufficient to allow patient optimisation to occur. Appropriate treatment should be provided to anaemic patients to prevent unnecessary blood transfusions and reduce the length of stay. A standardised preoperative anemia pathway may assist in improving practice.

Overcoming barriers to evidence-based patient blood management: a restricted review

Background

Blood transfusions are associated with a range of adverse patient outcomes, including coagulopathy, immunomodulation and haemolysis, which increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. Consideration of these risks and potential benefits are necessary when deciding to transfuse. Patient blood management (PBM) guidelines exist to assist in clinical decision-making, but they are underutilised. Exploration of barriers to the implementation and utilisation of the PBM guidelines is required. This study aimed to identify common barriers and implementation strategies used to implement PBM guidelines, with a comparison against current expert opinion.

Methods

A restricted review approach was used to identify the barriers to PBM guideline implementation as reported by health professionals and to review which implementation strategies have been used. Searches were undertaken in MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane library. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to code barriers. The Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) tool was used to code implementation strategies, and subsequently, develop recommendations based on expert opinion.

Results

We identified 14 studies suitable for inclusion. There was a cluster of barriers commonly reported: access to knowledge and information (n = 7), knowledge and beliefs about the intervention ( = 7) and tension for change (n = 6). Implementation strategies used varied widely (n = 25). Only one study reported the use of an implementation theory, model or framework. Most studies (n = 11) had at least 50% agreement with the ERIC recommendations.

Conclusions

There are common barriers experienced by health professionals when trying to implement PBM guidelines. There is currently no conclusive evidence to suggest which implementation strategies are most effective. Further research using validated implementation approaches and improved reporting is required.