Northern Health Library: Care without Blood Transfusions

Northern Health Policy

Click here to see Northern Health's Policy on caring for patients who refuse blood transfusions for personal, cultural or religious reasons.

Care without Blood Transfusions

Some patients' religious or personal beliefs prevent them for accepting transfusions of both whole blood and blood parts. A series of strategies have been developed to aid clinicians in caring for patients who refuse blood transfusions. Links to the downloadable PDF strategy guides are below. 

• Avoiding Blood Transfusion in Critically Ill Patients
  This document combines evidence-based strategies and expert opinion on the management of critically ill patients without the use of allogeneic blood transfusion.
• Avoiding Blood Transfusion in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  An information summary of strategies for the care of obstetrical and gynaecological patients without blood transfusion. This document can be used to facilitate planning for the prevention and management of postpartum haemorrhage. 
• Avoiding Blood Transfusion in Surgical Patients
  A compendium of blood conservation strategies that can be used to pre-empt allogeneic blood transfusion in surgical patients.
• Managing Acute Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage Without Blood Transfusion
  A concise outline of clinical management strategies for managing acute upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding without allogeneic blood transfusion.