EVALUATION OF BLOOD ORDERING AND ITS UTILIZATION PRACTICES IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN RAJASTHAN

Blood transfusion is a vital component of clinical management in obstetrics and gynecology (OBG), where hemorrhage and anemia are significant contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality. However, inappropriate blood ordering leads to resource wastage and increased healthcare burden. Objective: To evaluate the current blood ordering and transfusion practices in OBG patients at a tertiary hospital and assess efficiency using standardized transfusion indices. Methods: This hospital-based, cross-sectional observational study included 1500 OBG patients over one year. Data on blood requisitions & transfusions were analyzed. Efficiency was measured using the crossmatch-to-transfusion (C/T) ratio, transfusion probability (T%), transfusion index (TI), and maximum surgical blood ordering schedule (MSBOS). Results: Among 1500 patients, 723 (48.2%) received crossmatched blood. The most commonly used component was whole blood (71.23%), followed by PRBCs (24.76%). The overall C/T ratio was 1.04, T% was 95.2%, and TI was 1.25. The most blood requested group was 20–40 years (81.6%). Conclusion: Blood utilization practices were moderately efficient. The use of whole blood was high despite component therapy being preferable. Adoption of MSBOS and promotion of rational blood use are recommended.