What We Do

What is Patient Blood Management?

In 2014 The University of Rochester started the Patient Blood Management Program – a research-based initiative that provides patients with the safest, highest quality care.

Blood management is a practice that seeks to identify which patients must receive blood products and which patients can be managed with limited or no blood products. These strategies are supported by research conducted at UR and many institutions. To be effective, these efforts require a multidisciplinary approach.

PBM is based on three main goals:  

• Optimize use of blood components according to restrictive laboratory and clinical guidelines
• Reduce avoidable blood loss
• Evaluate and treat anemia using pharmaceutical interventions

Benefits of patient blood management:

• Lower rates of postoperative complications including heart attack, stroke, and infection
• Decreased risk of immunological complications and allergic reactions
• Less exposure to blood-borne viruses and infections
• No risk of receiving the wrong blood type

Reasons for Refusal

The UR offers care for those people who refuse blood transfusions for religious or personal reasons, or who only accept blood transfusions or component therapy in life-threatening circumstances.