Setting up a Modern & Efficient Blood Bank
Author: Nour Alhomsi
Nour Alhomsi is Transfusion Safety Officer at Hamilton Health Sciences
Hospital bleed management isn’t just about moving blood from Point A to Point B, it’s about saving lives in the fastest, safest, and most efficient way possible. Yet, many hospitals still rely on outdated, fragmented processes that create delays, increase product wastage, and put patients at risk. As Transfusion Safety Officers (TSOs), we see firsthand how small inefficiencies in blood management can mean the difference between life and death.
So, here’s the big question: Why are we still managing massive hemorrhage cases with workflows designed for slower, less crisis-driven situations?
I’d like to urge my peers to rethink transfusion strategies and embrace a new standard: evidence-based, streamlined processes that reduce delays, improve outcomes, and modernize how we respond to critical bleeding events.
The Problem: Delays and Inefficiencies Cost Lives
Consider this case:
- A 65-year-old male with colon cancer arrives at the Emergency Department (ED) due to rectal bleeding.
- After waiting a few hours, his bleeding worsens, leading the ED team to request two units of uncrossmatched red cell concentrates (RCCs).
- The bleeding intensifies, necessitating an emergency transfer to the operating room (OR), where the Massive Hemorrhage Protocol (MHP) is activated.
- This hospital has a centralized transfusion process. Cryoprecipitate is requested in the 3rd box but takes approximately 30 minutes to arrive. By then, the patient has already experienced significant blood loss.
This is a scenario that plays out in hospitals everywhere. Too often, our systems react to bleeding rather than proactively manage it. In cases of major hemorrhage, every lost minute correlates with increased morbidity and mortality.
