Background & Objectives : Most of the people who need blood and blood products transfusion, are the critic cases under transfusional therapy for their bleeding, chronic disease anemia, clotting disorders, platlet problems and so on. Considering the problems and high costs of providing safe blood and due to the transfusional complications, it is necessary for the blood products to be used based on scientific standards and only in the time of emergency. This study examined the cases of transfusion in a surgery and burning hospital and to determine the unnecessary cases of transfusion in a period of six months.

  Methods: This descriptive study was performed on 150 patients under blood and blood products transfusion in Ardabil Dr Fatemi hospital during 2003. Necessary and unnecessary cases of transfusion were categorized according to the patients clinical situations, laboratory criteria, the evidence existing in their records and on the basis of standards documented in the literature. The data were analyzed by SPSS software.

  Results: Among 150 cases transfused, 46 (25.7%) received whole blood, 92 (51.4%) packed cell, 36 (20.1%) FFP and 5 (2.3%) platlet. The ward of transfusion was ICU in 60 cases (40%), surgery ward in 31 (20.7%), operation room in 28 (18.7%), orthepedic ward in 11 (7.3%), burning ward in 10 (6.7%) and emergency ward in 9 (6%). Highest rate belonged to 20 to 40 age-group (32.7%). 67.3% of the cases were male transfusion, based on documented criteria, with regard to the necessary of 26.08% of the cases in whole-blood group, 30.44 in packed cell group, 47.22 in FFP group and 80% in platlet group received umecessary transfusion.

  Conclusions: Considering the high cost of preparation of safe blood and blood products and regarding the problems which can affect the patients after transfusion, these products should be used carefully and on the basis of the documented. The high rate of unnecessary transfusion of blood and its products at the present reseaech demands more attention in this regard.