Pre-operative transfusion testing is not necessary for the vast majority of surgical patients (e.g., appendectomy, cholecystectomy, hysterectomy and hernia repair) as those patients usually do not require transfusion. Ordering pre-transfusion testing for patients who will likely not require transfusion will lead to unnecessary blood drawn from a patient and unnecessary testing performed. It may also lead to unnecessary delay in the surgical procedure waiting for the results. To guide you whether pre-transfusion testing is required for a certain surgical procedure, your hospital may have a maximum surgical blood ordering schedule or specific testing guidelines based on current surgical practices.

Conditions: Pre-Operative / Pre-Op Transfusion Testing

Diagnostic Tests: Pre-Transfusion Testing (Type and Screen)

Procedures: Surgery (Appendectomy, Cholecystectomy, Hysterectomy, Hernia Repair)

Sources

• Guidelines for implementation of a maximum surgical blood order schedule. The British Committee for Standards in Haematology Blood Transfusion Task Force. Clin Lab Haematol. 1990;12(3):321-7. (PubMed)
• Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Blood Coordinating Office. Guidelines for Maximum Surgical Blood Ordering Schedule, Version 1.0. 2012 Dec 28 [cited 2015 Apr 28]. (PDF)
• Ontario Regional Blood Coordinating Network (ORBCoN). Maximum Surgical Blood Order Schedule (MSBOS): Development Tool, Version 1. 2014 Dec 5 [cited 2015 Apr 28]. (ORBCoN)
• University of Michigan. Providing Blood Components for Perioperative Patients. 2010 Jan 4 [cited 2015 Apr 28]. (UMich)