Blood Management Services
What is patient blood management?
Blood management is the provision and use of blood, its components and derivitives, and strategies to reduce or avoid the need for a blood transfusion.
Peri-operative Blood Management Services provides perioperative anemia screening and treatment for major surgeries at Capital Health and the IWK Health Centre. Team members also counsel patients who refuse blood products and coordinate intra-operative surgical and anesthetic blood management techniques.
Its purpose is two-fold:
- To reduce or eliminate the need for blood transfusion during surgery
- To educate patients about the risks and benefits of blood transfusions and other blood alternatives
Blood Management Services has made great strides not only in clinical care, but also in education and research. On the research front, the program conducts ongoing research in blood loss in cardiac surgery, use of blood salvage systems in back surgery and has participated in national multi-centre studies. As for education, the program acts as a resource in perioperative blood management for physicians and hospitals in Atlantic Canada and educates staff, residents, nurses and allied health professionals on the most up-to-date techniques in perioperative blood management.
Mission Statement: to provide compassionate, safe blood management services, education and research.
Access:
You can enroll with Blood Management Services for any type of surgery, including: thoracic, vascular, orthopedic, urologic, ob/gyn, neurological, general, and cardiac.
More specific information for patients can be found on our Patient Resources page.
If you are planning to have surgery in the near future and would like to obtain more information about Blood Management Services, please call 902.473.3117 on weekdays between 8 am and 4 pm.
Team:
Dr. Blaine Kent
Phone: 902.473.4326
Heather Mingo
heather.mingo@cdha.nshealth.ca
Phone: 902.473.3117
Megan Chipp
Education Coordinator
megan.chipp@cdha.nshealth.ca
Phone: 902.473.1177
