Long-term audit of platelet consumption in a university hospital.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the long-term trend in platelet consumption in a university hospital.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The annual consumption of platelets concentrate (PC) was analyzed over 23 years (1985-2007) in King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

The total 23 years consumption was 100,466 units of PC. Consumption went through 3 phases: the first, 1985-1994: the annual consumption increased from 1706 to 5912 which coincided with the increase in the number of patient admissions; the second, 1994-2003:featured a remarkable drop (48.9%) in annual consumption while patient admission remained stable. There was a concurrent decline in platelet consumption and all-cause mortality/patient. Third phase: 2003-2007, the consumption increased to reach 5642 units/year in 2007. The Department of Medicine consumed (52%), followed by Pediatrics (21%), and General Surgery (16%).

CONCLUSION

This audit uncovered evidence of inappropriate platelet consumption that reached 48.9% in the period 1994 to 2003, which coincided with widely publicized HIV scare that dominated blood transfusion during that period. We also found evidence suggesting that reducing platelet transfusion could improve patient outcome.