Patient Blood Management in 2023: a Nationwide Survey of Anesthesiologists in Romania following the 2018 Guidelines.

BACKGROUND

In 2018, Romania established national guidelines for patient blood management (PBM), endorsed by the Romanian Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (SRATI) and approved by the Ministry of Health. These guidelines emphasize managing anemia, coagulation issues, and the cautious use of allogeneic transfusions to improve patient outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A national survey was conducted among Romanian anesthesiologists to assess PBM guideline adoption. It included 38 questions addressing PBM strategies, resources, transfusion practices, and barriers to implementation. The survey was distributed via email to the SRATI database.

RESULTS

Out of 512 professionals who opened the survey, 74% had adopted some PBM measures, and 97% recognized PBM's efficacy in improving outcomes. However, only 33% of anesthesiologists worked in hospitals with formal PBM groups, and 39% had attended PBM-related educational events. Preoperative anemia management was inconsistent, with only 33.5% routinely treating anemia. Access to diagnostic and therapeutic tools was limited; transferrin saturation testing was available in 27% of cases, and erythropoietin was used in 24%. Despite these limitations, 72% of respondents treated anemia with intravenous iron.The main challenges to implementation included insufficient time for pre-surgical assessments, lack of standardized procedures, and difficulties in surgeon-anesthetist collaboration.

DISCUSSION

The survey highlights the need for systemic improvements in PBM adoption. Recommendations include enhancing organizational structures, standardizing protocols, and improving interdisciplinary collaboration to boost PBM implementation in Romania. While progress has been made, a national program with dedicated funding and auditing could facilitate widespread PBM integration into clinical practice.