Blood transfusions are one of the most common procedures performed in hospitals. Reducing the quantity of unnecessary blood transfusions benefits patients, reduces healthcare costs, and conserves the community blood supply.
Hemoglobin a protein contained in red blood cells carries oxygen to the organs and tissues. Declining hemoglobin levels may indicate bleeding and at that time, clinicians need to be alerted to the possible need for blood transfusions. Significant bleeding occurs in up to 35 percent of surgical and critical care patients.
“The Allegheny Health Network (AHN) www.ahn.org, an integrated network serving Western Pennsylvania in partnership and Masimo www.masimo.com, a global medical technology company, initiated a pilot program using a non-invasive hemoglobin monitor referred to as the Masimo SpHb on patients at risk for bleeding. Funding for the pilot program was made possible by a grant from the Institute for Transfusion Medicine www.itxm.org.
The new technology used to monitor patients enables clinicians to see changes in hemoglobin levels non-invasively and continuously via a simple sensor that attaches to the patient’s finger. Prior to the introduction of SpHb, hemoglobin could only be measured with invasive blood tests.
Allegheny General Hospital www.ahn.org/locations/allegheny-general-hospital used SpHb monitoring for 325 patients over the course of a month. Researchers found instances where real-time visibility to changes in hemoglobin helped physicians make a decision to delay transfusions or avoid transfusing a second unit of blood. In other patients, physicians discerned the need for transfusions earlier than possible with standard intermittent invasive blood tests alone.
Robert Keenan, MD, Chief Quality Officer for AHN’s Allegheny General Hospital and West Penn Hospital www.ahn.org/locations/west-penn-hospital reports, “In addition to the acquisition of this new technology, AHN also like many other hospital systems developing what is commonly referred to as Patient Blood Management (PBM) programs that work to conserve a patient’s own blood supply so that fewer transfusions are required.”