Utilization of fresh frozen plasma in a tertiary care hospital in central Kerala

Background: The demand for blood and its components always exceeds the supply in our health care setting. Hence there is a need to prioritize the usage of these components. An audit makes this possible. The present study is conducted on utilization of Fresh frozen plasma which is one of the most requested blood components.Methods: The study was conducted on the first 241 FFP transfusions during the study period of 1 year. Requisition forms for issuing FFP from various departments were reviewed and relevant data collected. Patients’ case record was also retrieved to collect data related to the transfusion episodes. The data collected were compiled, coded and expressed using descriptive statistical tools like mean, mode, percentage and ratio using Microsoft Excel 2010.Results: Most of the patients who underwent FFP transfusion were males and in the age group 60-70. Most of the requests for FFP issue came from Cardiothoracic department. Most common indication for FFP transfusion was raised PT INR. FFP units remained unutilized in CTVS, General surgery and general medicine. 20% of the received request forms were incompletely filled with the Clinical diagnosis and Indication for FFP being most frequently omitted information.Conclusions: Various departments at Government Medical College, Kottayam are efficiently utilizing FFP. But more intervention is needed in addressing issues related to the sending of requisition forms and ensuring adequate usage of FFP to prevent its wastage.