Advances in cardiac surgical transfusion practices during the 1990s in a Finnish university hospital.

Background and Objectives: Recent transfusion practices in coronary artery bypass (CABG) operations in a Finnish university hospital were evaluated, utilizing the data stored automatically in hospital registers.
Materials and Methods: The register-based transfusion data on all 2363 CABG patients operated on during a 2.5-year period, from 1997 to 1999, were analysed and compared with a review of surgical transfusion practices in Finland from 1993 to 1994.
Results: The rate of allogeneic transfusion showed a decrease from 76% in 1993-94 to 48% in the time-period January to June 1999, and the mean number of donor exposures decreased from 3.3 to 2.0 units per patient. The mean blood product purchase costs per patient almost halved from 1993-94 to 1997-99.
Conclusion: Hospital registers provide a good means for prompt evaluation and reporting of large-scale transfusion data. Since 1993, transfusion rates and costs in CABG operations have decreased markedly. Further development of transfusion registers is warranted.