Citation

Soffer D, Klausner J, Bar-Zohar D, Szold O, Schulman CI, Halpern P, Shimonov A, Hareuveni M, Ben-Tal O. Arch. Surg. (1960) 2008; 143(10): 983-9; discussion 989.

Affiliation

The Yitzhak Rabin Trauma Center, Division of Surgery B, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman St, 64239 Israel. sofferdror@hotmail.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/archsurg.143.10.983

PMID

18936378

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To predict how much blood will be needed based on the number of injured patients arriving after a multiple-casualty incident. DESIGN: A retrospective study evaluating data collected in 18 consecutive terrorist attacks in the city of Tel Aviv between January 1997 and February 2005. SETTING: A large, urban trauma center. PATIENTS: A total of 986 patients in 18 events. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of packed red blood cell (PRBC) units transfused per patient. RESULTS: A total of 332 U of PRBCs were transfused. Half of the PRBC units were administered as massive transfusions to 4.7% of the patients. The number of PRBC units transfused per patient index (PPI) was related to incident size (mean [SD], 0.70 [1.60] to 1.50 [1.60]). The most frequent major blood group transfused was type O (50%). Half of the units of PRBCs were supplied during the first 2 hours. CONCLUSIONS: One unit of blood per evacuated victim is sufficient in a small multiple-casualty incident and 2 U is sufficient in a large multiple-casualty incident. Half of the PRBC units should be blood group O.

Language: en