AM25-TU-03-L - Enhancing Perioperative Autologous Transfusion: Bridging the Gap Between Standards and Practice

Perioperative autologous transfusion services—encompassing intraoperative and postoperative blood recovery, autologous component production, and acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH)—require seamless collaboration among perfusionists, anesthesiologists, surgeons, and blood bankers. Transfusion medicine physicians and blood bank managers play a critical role in overseeing these programs and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Despite the availability of AABB’s Perioperative Autologous Blood Collection and Administration Standards and accreditation framework, adoption remains low due to inconsistent implementation and limited oversight, leading to significant variation in practice. The absence of standardized processes has resulted in serious patient safety risks, including incorrect wash solutions, unvalidated devices, improper processing leading to critically high potassium levels, heparin administration in HIT-positive patients, failure to follow continuous circuit requirements for Jehovah’s Witness patients, and alteration of FDA-labeled blood products without appropriate validation. Additionally, gaps in education, training, and competency assessment exacerbate these risks.

This session will provide a comprehensive overview of perioperative autologous transfusion services, emphasizing their clinical impact and operational challenges. Case examples of errors and noncompliance will be presented to illustrate their clinical significance and impact on patient outcomes. The newly updated 11th edition of the AABB Perioperative Standards and accreditation process will also be introduced, highlighting their role in enhancing patient safety, optimizing blood utilization, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Additionally, we will share insights from a survey conducted by AABB’s Perioperative Accreditation Committee, outlining common barriers to adoption. Finally, we will issue a call to action, urging hospital administrators, blood bankers, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and perfusionists to collaborate in driving widespread adoption. Standardization is essential for improving patient outcomes and ensuring the highest quality of perioperative transfusion care.