Blood Transfusion and Associated Factors in Pregnant Women Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southeast Iran

Background: Effective blood transfusion is a life-saving practice in obstetrics and gynecology emergencies that can prevent blood product wastage in hospitals. Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the appropriateness of the use of blood products in pregnant women in a tertiary care hospital in Zahedan, southeast Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from September 2019 to March 2020 to assess the patterns of blood utilization in a tertiary care hospital in Zahedan, Iran. Blood bank registries and the data of 1,500 pregnant women were used for data analysis, using blood transfusion indices, including cross-matched to transfusion (C/T) ratio, transfusion probability (T), and transfusion index (TI). Results: Out of 1,064 units of requested blood products, 581 (54.6%) were cross-matched, and 774 (72.7%) were transfused to patients. The blood transfusion indices of C/T, T%, and TI were 2.11, 48.48%, and 0.76, respectively. The transfusion rate was 6.2%, and the commonest associated obstetrics complication requiring transfusion was uterine atony (32.2%), followed by anemia (17.2%). There was a statistically significant relationship between the type of delivery, uterine and placental problems, coagulation disorders during pregnancy, number of deliveries, and residence place, and the probability of blood transfusion (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The overall blood utilization indices were encouraging; however, the proportion of blood wastage was relatively high. Regular auditing is needed to optimize the use of blood and blood products in obstetrics and gynecology departments.