Bloodless medicine – often referred to as patient blood management (PBM) -- uses scientifically based medical and surgical techniques aimed at conserving a patient's own blood and minimizing or avoiding the need for the transfusion of donor blood components. To meet the religious, medical and personal beliefs of patients who opt not to have transfusions, Saint Peter's University Hospital provides patients with a bloodless medicine program. At Saint Peter's, patient blood management is a hospital-wide effort. A healthcare team of physicians, nurses, pathologists, pharmacists, dietitians and support staff works to assess and address each patient's blood management needs. Our use of safe and effective transfusion-free medical and surgical techniques reduces the risks that are associated with blood transfusions.
Our goals are to improve patient outcomes, respect the needs of patients for whom blood transfusion is not an option, and educate other medical professionals in how patient blood management can improve medical and surgical outcomes for patients. The practice of patient blood management and bloodless surgery involves a combination of medical and surgical techniques, as well as technology and behavioral strategies to decrease blood loss and enhance a patient's own blood supply.There is strong scientific evidence that, overall, patients who avoid transfusions have fewer complications, faster recoveries and shorter hospital stays. Specific benefits of organized patient blood management include lower rates of the most serious postoperative complications, including heart attack, stroke, and infections; decreased risk of immunological complications and allergic reactions; lower exposure to blood-borne viruses and infections; and the elimination of risk of receiving the wrong blood type.
Bloodless Surgery
When surgery is the recommended course of treatment, doctors at Saint Peter's University Hospital may use a variety of state-of-the- art technologies and techniques appropriate for the patient and the procedure to minimize blood loss, such as intraoperative cell salvage which calls for cleaning blood that remains in constant circulation. Following surgery, blood loss is minimized and blood production enhanced through medication, nutrition therapy and the use of technology. Blood also can be collected postoperatively from the patient and processed without leaving the patient's body.Patients who opt to have bloodless treatment meet with Lynne Manley, BSN, RN, CCRN, coordinator of Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at Saint Peter's.