Blood management

Patient blood management

Patient blood management (PBM) describes a range of medical and surgical strategies aimed to conserve and optimise the patient’s own blood which in turn helps to avoid or reduce the need for allogeneic transfusion. PBM takes an individualised, multidisciplinary approach to the management of a patient’s blood through assessment and the development of a plan to:

• optimise a patient’s own blood (identify and address the health conditions that if not managed appropriately might lead to a blood transfusion, such as anaemia or iron deficiency)
• minimise blood loss (such as minimal blood draw techniques, point of care diagnostic testing, pharmacological strategies, cell salvage and surgical techniques that reduce blood loss)
• optimise tolerance of anaemia (with appropriate management, the body can be supported to tolerate anaemia without resorting to blood transfusion).

• Patient blood management – guidelines and standards 

Consumer information

The National Blood Authority (NBA) has developed a wide range of consumer information, factsheets and videos (external site) to support decision making or inform the development of specific local consumer information relating to PBM and the use of blood and blood products. The quick links are regularly updated.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service produce a wide range of fact sheets providing basic information about blood, blood products, transfusion and transfusion avoidance (external site). The quick links are regularly updated.

Further information

Members of the Blood Unit are available from Monday to Friday during the hours of 8.30 am to 4.30 pm.

Blood Unit
Office of the Chief Medical Officer
Level 3, GPO Building
3 Forrest Place
Perth WA 6000
Phone: 6373 2321
Email: bloodmanagement@health.wa.gov.au