Resource highlights how hospitals can navigate blood shortages
America’s Blood Centers posted a bulletin this month, alerting hospitals to ways they can help address the nation’s blood shortage. The document listed transfusion practices for good stewardship of the blood supply and adjustments to transfusion practices, which can be implemented during shortages. “Hospitals have a critical role in promoting evidence-based best transfusion practices and optimizing blood bank inventory. The need to implement more restrictive transfusion practices during shortages should be supported and communicated from upper management to clinicians and hospital staff,” the bulletin concluded.