Use of blood in elective surgery.

A retrospective study of blood-ordering practices and blood use for elective surgical procedures at the Veterans Administration Medical Center of New Orleans shows a cross match-to-transfusion ratio of 4.29. To reduce this ratio, a guideline for ABO-Rh type and antibody screen (type and screen) is implemented. This avoids routine cross matching for those surgical procedures where blood is seldon transfused.