Blood components especially platelet concentrates due to their short shelf life are frequently in limited supply. Appropriate use of blood components is required to ensure their availability for needy @entity1 as well as to avoid the unnecessary risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases. Medical audit of blood transfusion practice, which forms an important part of quality assurance programme in a transfusion centre, can provide grounds for improvement in transfusion medicine practice. During the epidemic of @entity779 in Oct., 1996, 1837 @entity1 were admitted as dengue haemorrhagic @entity221 in a teaching hospital in Delhi. Two hundred and eight @entity1 (11.3%) were given platelet transfusions. Retrospective analysis of these platelet transfusions was done. It was observed that in only 52 (25%) out of 208 @entity1 the information on platelet counts was provided. History of active bleeding was obtained only in 65 (31.2%) @entity1 . About 35% @entity1 received unnecessary prophylactic transfusions and during 89% of the transfusion episodes inappropriate dose of platelet concentrate was given. Information regarding post-transfusion recovery could be obtained in only 16.5% of transfusion episodes. The study emphasises the need for development of specific guidelines for transfusion of blood components, constant interaction and co-ordination amongst clinicians and transfusion centre for implementation of these guidelines, and a regular medical audit to review the optimal utilisation of blood components.

Platelet transfusion practice during XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity779 :: ('MESH:D003715', 'Disease') :: ['dengue fever'] @entity221 :: ('MESH:D005334', 'Disease') :: ['fever']
@entity779 :: (MESH:D003715,Disease) :: ['dengue fever epidemic']
