❓ A parliamentary question regarding the approval process and adherence to NHMRC guidelines for a single unit blood transfusion policy at Fremantle Hospital. The response clarifies the policy's alignment with existing guidelines.
AnsweredQoN 722Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PATIENT
BLOOD MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
722. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to
the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the patient blood
management program.
(1) Who approved
the single unit policy posters that claimed to be in accordance with National
Health and Medical Research Council guidelines, when no such guidelines around
blood management actually exist?
(2) Who approved the single unit
policy without checking the NHMRC guidelines?
BLOOD MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
722. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to
the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the patient blood
management program.
(1) Who approved
the single unit policy posters that claimed to be in accordance with National
Health and Medical Research Council guidelines, when no such guidelines around
blood management actually exist?
(2) Who approved the single unit
policy without checking the NHMRC guidelines?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1) The poster
was approved by Fremantle Hospital, under the direction of Fremantle Hospital
patient blood management—PBM—medical director, Professor
Michael Leahy. It was adapted from one developed by the Department of Health
under the carriage of the then Chief Medical Officer.
(2) The single
unit policy states that doctors should prescribe only one unit of blood at a
time, and reassess ongoing clinical need before prescribing further units of blood.
This is consistent with recommendation 2 of the 2001 NHMRC guidelines, which
reads —
The decision to transfuse red blood
cells should be based on clinical assessment of the patient and his or her
response to any previous transfusion as well as the haemoglobin level.
Therefore, only one unit is released
in stable, non-emergent, non-bleeding situations when the haemoglobin is below
the level cited in the 2001 NHMRC guidelines. This has also been reinforced in
more recent transfusion guidelines published by the National Blood Authority.
question.
(1) The poster
was approved by Fremantle Hospital, under the direction of Fremantle Hospital
patient blood management—PBM—medical director, Professor
Michael Leahy. It was adapted from one developed by the Department of Health
under the carriage of the then Chief Medical Officer.
(2) The single
unit policy states that doctors should prescribe only one unit of blood at a
time, and reassess ongoing clinical need before prescribing further units of blood.
This is consistent with recommendation 2 of the 2001 NHMRC guidelines, which
reads —
The decision to transfuse red blood
cells should be based on clinical assessment of the patient and his or her
response to any previous transfusion as well as the haemoglobin level.
Therefore, only one unit is released
in stable, non-emergent, non-bleeding situations when the haemoglobin is below
the level cited in the 2001 NHMRC guidelines. This has also been reinforced in
more recent transfusion guidelines published by the National Blood Authority.
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