Announcement from Better Blood Use

The subsequent case management for Case 4 has been posted.

Case 4 is an 84 year-old male on Coumadin who presents with a large pericardial effusion and 5.7 INR measured 4.5 hours prior to admission, who received vitamin k 10 mg IM 10 minutes prior to admission. The patient subsequently received 3 units plasma 3:45, 5:25 and 5:50 hours post admission, prior to TEE. The TEE was performed 9:49 hours post-admission, after which 2 additional units plasma were administered prior to ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis15:34 hours post-admission.

He received two additional units plasma post-pericardiocentesis 16:54 and 17:08 hours post admission (total of 7 units of plasma) and subsequently received 4 units PRBC prior to discharge. The discharge hemoglobin was 11.4 gm/dL. The hospital length of stay was 3.6 days.