Reduction in plasma transfusion after enforcement of transfusion guidelines.
Transfusion. 2011 Apr;51(4):754-61
Authors: Tavares M, DiQuattro P, Nolette N, Conti G, Sweeney J
The majority of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) is transfused in the United States in the management of acquired bleeding disorders. The prothrombin time (PT), and its derivative the international normalized ratio (INR), is the most common test used to detect the presence and gauge the severity of these disorders. Observation studies have shown that the PT correlates poorly with clinical bleeding and that transfusion of plasma often achieves no measurable change in the INR nor is of any known clinical benefit.
PMID: 20946197 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]