VOLUME 13 , ISSUE 3 ( September-December, 2024 ) > List of Articles
Fernanda Contreras, Camila BD Hermosilla, Oscar Gatica, Alexandra Barra
Keywords : Blood bank, Blood transfusion, Hypovolemic shock, Injury, Mortality
Citation Information : Contreras F, Hermosilla CB, Gatica O, Barra A. Association Between the Distribution of Blood Banks and the Management of Hemorrhagic and Hypovolemic Shock in Chile. Panam J Trauma Crit Care Emerg Surg 2024; 13 (3):125-129.
DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10030-1469
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Published Online: 31-12-2024
Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).
Introduction: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is one of the leading potentially preventable causes of death in patients who have suffered some type of trauma. Despite the importance of blood banks (BB), there are no studies in Chile evaluating their impact on mortality due to shock. Recently, an attempt has been made to centralize BB into four centers to improve the national supply. The objective of this study is to characterize the association of the distribution of BB with mortality due to hemorrhagic and hypovolemic shock (hVS) in Chile. Materials and methods: Correlational ecological population study using official data from the Department of Health Statistics and Information of Chile, the Chilean Society of Hematology, and the National Institute of Statistics; the period from 1997 to 2023 was evaluated. Patients whose cause of death was associated with hemorrhagic or hVS and various types of hemorrhages were identified. Mortality due to HS and the relationship with the number of BB in the regions were analyzed using Pearson correlation with 95% confidence intervals and p-value < 0.05 (Stata-16). Ethics Committee approval was not required. Results: There were 668 deaths due to HS, hVS, and massive hemorrhages in Chile between 2014 and 2023. Mortality decreased as the number of BB in a city increased, with the lowest observed in the Metropolitan, Valparaíso, and Biobío regions significantly. The most affected regions were Aysén, Los Ríos, and Magallanes, which coincide with those having fewer institutions for managing blood products. Conclusion: There is a relationship between the availability of BB and mortality due to HS in Chile, indicating an inequitable distribution of these resources. It is vital to conduct more research to determine how the distribution of BB affects the survival of patients with HS.