A Patient Blood Management Program in Prosthetic Joint Arthroplasty Decreases Blood Use and Improves Outcomes

The objective of this study was to determine if a Patient Blood Management (PBM) program implemented for patients undergoing THA or TKA would result in a decrease in the percentage of patients transfused PRBCs and improve outcomes. Decision support, a key driver for this program, was built into the electronic medical record. This retrospective cohort study included 12,590 patients and demonstrated a 44% decrease in the percentage of patients transfused. This was associated with a significant reduction in complications, 30 day readmissions and HLOS. A PBM program for patients undergoing prosthetic joint arthroplasty for primary and revision total hip and knee arthroplasty results in fewer transfusions and is associated with improved outcomes. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.