STS/SCA/AmSECT/SABM Update to the Clinical Practice Guidelines on Patient Blood Management

Blood transfusion is a critical and life-saving facet of the care for cardiothoracic surgery patients. Inherent to the transfusing of blood is the understanding of the preservation of blood as well as the appropriateness of techniques to prevent hemorrhage through the clinical course. Although clinical practices have evolved through the centuries since Dr William Harvey discovered the circulation of blood in 1628 and attempted the first blood transfusion thereafter, there is significant variability in the practices of blood transfusion and conservation in all phases of the surgical care. In our current health care environment of value-based care, the need for practice guidelines must therefore be further emphasized. Additionally, the term “blood conservation” is yielding to a broader term “patient blood management” (PBM) that incorporates the need to not only “conserve” blood but, more importantly, to also take into account the assessment of the liquid organ, blood, as a vital entity in taking care of the surgical patient.