Massive transfusion is a “hot-button” issue right now! Minh-Ha Tran walks us through what we know and don’t know, and how you can make massive transfusion better in your facility.

Dr. Minh-Ha Tran

Dr. Minh-Ha Tran

There are few situations more stressful for transfusion services as massive transfusion. Calls from the emergency department alerting you to an incoming trauma patient, or a panicked notification from the OB unit that a delivery has not gone well, or even an alert from the OR that a cardiac surgery or liver transplant has patient has taken a bad turn; all of these can lead to “mini freak-outs” in the blood bank!

Don’t Panic!

Dr. Minh-Ha Tran wants you to know that those times are times to work the plan that you’ve already made and stay calm! He takes us through the “Who, Where, What, Why, When, and How of Massive Transfusion,” offering great insights and perspectives. Though these situations will always be among the most challenging (and frightening) situations a blood bank professional can face, Dr. Tran gives us lots of practical tips to take some of the mystery out of the whole thing!

Dr. Minh-Ha Tran

Dr. Minh-Ha Tran

There are few situations more stressful for transfusion services as massive transfusion. Calls from the emergency department alerting you to an incoming trauma patient, or a panicked notification from the OB unit that a delivery has not gone well, or even an alert from the OR that a cardiac surgery or liver transplant has patient has taken a bad turn; all of these can lead to “mini freak-outs” in the blood bank!

Don’t Panic!

Dr. Minh-Ha Tran wants you to know that those times are times to work the plan that you’ve already made and stay calm! He takes us through the “Who, Where, What, Why, When, and How of Massive Transfusion,” offering great insights and perspectives. Though these situations will always be among the most challenging (and frightening) situations a blood bank professional can face, Dr. Tran gives us lots of practical tips to take some of the mystery out of the whole thing!

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed on this episode are those of my guest and I alone, and do not reflect those of the organizations with which either of us is affiliated. Neither Dr. Tran nor I have any relevant financial disclosures.

The images below are generously provided by Dr. Tran.

Tran slide 1-Nunez ABC Score Referenced in Podcast
Tran slide 2-Complexity of Massive Transfusion Care
Tran slide 3-What Does 1:1:1 Look Like?
Tran slide 3-Borgman Study Abstract and Chart
Tran slide 4-Borgman Study Data
Tran slide 6-Summary of PROPPR
Tran slide 7-PROMTT Study Summary
Tran slide 8-Zielinsky Group A Plasma Study

Time-Stamped Notes

  • 01:35: Intro to Dr. Tran
  • 07:10: Who gets massive transfusions? (Definition)
  • 08:15: Nunez et al, “Assessment of Blood Consumption” Score
  • 11:15: Other settings for massive transfusion
  • 12:20: Where does massive transfusion occur?
  • 16:28: How to establish communication with all participants
  • 19:25: What is fixed-ratio massive transfusion?
  • 27:06: Why do trauma surgeons believe in 1:1:1? (Borgman et al study)
  • 30:05: An explanation of “survival bias” in massive transfusion studies
  • 35:30: PROPPR study description (Holcomb et al)
  • 37:30: PROMMT study description (Holcomb et al)
  • 39:30: Riskin et al (Stanford) study description
  • 42:50: Why not use fresh whole blood?
  • 45:37: How do we choose safe plasma products for massive transfusion?
  • 51:33: Summary for three different groups of listeners

Further Reading:

  • Nunez TC et al. Early prediction of massive transfusion in trauma: Simple as ABC (Assessment of Blood Consumption)?. J Trauma 2009;66:346-52.
  • Borgman MA et al. The ratio of blood products transfused affects mortality in patients receiving massive transfusions at a Combat Support Hospital. J Trauma 2007;63:805-13.
  • Holcomb JB et al. Transfusion of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells in a 1:1:1 vs a 2:1:1 ratio and mortality in patients with severe trauma – The PROPPR randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2015;313(5):471-82.
  • Holcomb JB et al. The Prospective, Observational, Multicenter, Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) Study. JAMA Surg 2013;148(2):127-136.
  • Riskin DJ et al. Massive transfusion protocols: The role of aggressive resuscitation versus prudent product ratio in mortality reduction. J Am Coll Surg 2009;209:198-205.
  • Zielinski MD et al. Emergency use of pre thawed group A plasma in trauma patients. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2013;74(1):69-74.

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