Newguidelines Reducingtheneedforbloodtransfusionsanddeliveringbetteroutcomesforpatients

MediaReleaseForIMMEDIATERELEASE

Date:17September2012

Newguidelines–reducingtheneedforbloodtransfusionsanddeliveringbetteroutcomesforpatients

ThefirstthreemodulesoftheNationalBloodAuthority’sPatientBloodManagementGuidelineswillbeofficiallylaunchedbyAustralia’sChiefMedicalOfficer,ProfessorChrisBaggoleyonWednesday19

SeptemberattheNationalPortraitGalleryinCanberra.

Thenewpatient-focusedguidelinesarepartofanationallycoordinatedapproachtopatientbloodmanagementandaimtoreduceinappropriatetransfusionsanddeliverbetteroutcomesforpatients.ThesehavebeenapprovedbytheNationalHealthandMedicalResearchCouncil(NHMRC)andaresupportedbyallAustraliangovernments.

MrLeighMcJames,NationalBloodAuthority’sGeneralManager,said“whilebloodtransfusionsarearecognisedlife-savingpartofmedicaltreatment,theycanalsobeassociatedwithadverseeventsandpooreroutcomesforsomepatientgroups.Theseguidelinesprovidehealthcareprofessionalswiththelatestevidence-basedapproachtomanagingpatientstominimiseunnecessaryexposuretotransfusionswherepossibleanddeliverbetteroutcomesforpatients.”

Theguidelineshavebeendeveloped,byexpertsfromclinicalspecialitycolleges,societiesandconsumerrepresentativesworkingwiththeNBA.Thefirstthreemodulesare:(1)CriticalBleeding/MassiveTransfusion,(2)Perioperativeand(3)Medical.

Thefirstmodule,CriticalBleeding/MassiveTransfusionprovidessupportforhealthcareprofessionalsinmanagingpatientswithcriticalbleedingrequiringmassivetransfusionandthesecondmodule,Perioperative,offersguidanceonthepatient’sbloodmanagementprior,duringandaftersurgery.Thethirdmodule,Medicalfocusesonpatientswithacuteorchronicmedicalconditionsrequiringongoingtreatmentwithbloodand/orbloodproducts.Whencompletetheguidelineswillbemadeupofsixmodules.Thefourthmodule,whichfocusesoncriticalcare,isexpectedtobepublishedinearly2013,withtheobstetricsandpaediatrics/neonatesmodulestofollow.

TheChairofthereferencegroupresponsibleforpreparingtheperioperativemodule,AssociateProfessorLarryMcNicol,said“patientsawaitingelectivesurgery,especiallywherebloodlossisanticipated,shouldhaveinvestigationsforirondeficiencyandanaemiawhich,iffound,shouldbecorrectedpriortosurgery.Thesurgeryshouldbescheduledtoallowadequatetimetomakethesepatientsfitforsurgery”.

“Patientswhoarebetterpreparedforsurgeryhavebetterrecoveryrates,soweknowthatfollowingtheseguidelineswillresultinbetterpatientcare,”hesaid.

Thispatient-focusedapproachtobloodmanagementhasalreadybeentestedinWesternAustralia.Asaresult,WA’suseofbloodtransfusionsper1000ofthepopulationfellfrom30.5in2007-08to27.5in

2011-12.(Thenationalaveragewas35.7per1000for2011-12).

TheguidelinesareavailablefreeofchargefromtheNationalBloodAuthority’swebsite

LaunchDetails

What:LaunchofPatientBloodManagementGuidelines

Where:NationalPortraitGallery,KingEdwardTerrace,Parkes,ACT

When:Wednesday19September

Time:1pm(LeighMcJames,GeneralManageroftheNationalBloodAuthority,willbeavailableformedia

interviewfrom12:30pmattheNationalPortraitGallery)

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Formoremediainterviewsorfurtherinformationpleasecontact:

RachelWright,NBACommunicationsManager:0262118345/