Vijyoti, a corporate social enterprise specialising in the pharmaceutical and education sectors, tied up with Tem International, a German medical technology company, to introduce patient blood-management (PBM) solutions in India. Apart from providing the machines to hospitals and doctors, Vijyoti will undertake training.
Tem is a global leader in the manufacture of point-of-care diagnostic equipment sold under the brand name Rotem, which is used by doctors globally to detect, manage and monitor haemostasis in cardiac surgery, liver transplants, obstetrics, and trauma patients.
PBM is an international initiative in best practices for transfusion medicine. The concept was highlighted in 2010 by the World Health Assembly as an important concept to improve patient safety. The solution also helps to prevent unnecessary blood transfusions and generate quicker and more accurate results during a variety of surgeries. While several WHO member states — Australia, USA, Japan, most of the EU, and some emerging economies — have implemented the concept, India is yet to introduce a protocol for this though the concept is in use in a limited way at some specialty hospitals.
Stating that India has overlooked the benefits of effective patient blood management, Vijay Pande, Managing Director, Vijyoti, said, “Despite being a country with a population of 1.2 billion, India faces a blood shortage of three million units annually. Patient blood management demands a change in the mindset towards bleeding management. Through this alliance we will introduce Rotem to India and promote blood conservation with benefit to the patient, the blood banks and hospitals by enabling efficient and economical use of this increasingly scarce, expensive resource.” According Mr Pande, PBM ensures improved patient outcomes by minimising use of blood transfusion through evidence-based and targeted use rather than behaviour-based use of blood products. “This minimises risks of mortality, morbidity, hospital acquired infection – sepsis – arising from RBC transfusion. It also leads to reduction in costs to patient, hospitals, and other stakeholders like medical insurance companies and blood banks,” he said.
Dr Klaus Goerlinger, senior consultant for Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany, and a senior representative of TEM International, is in India to speak at a seminar on ‘Bleeding Management’ and to popularise this technique. He told The Hindu , “The analyser provides precise results within 5-10 minutes, whereas standard laboratory testing takes up to 40-60 minutes, which delays the treatment of an already bleeding patient. The technology allows for targeted therapy to be provided at the point-of-care. Throwing blood at an already bleeding patient is no solution. All attempts must be made to find the cause of bleeding and conserve blood which is precious. Bleeding and blood transfusion have been shown to be independent risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality.”
