Skip to Content

UPMC Patient Blood Management Program

Patient blood management is a patient-oriented approach to avoiding unnecessary blood transfusions. With patient blood management, multiple strategies to reduce or eliminate the need for transfusions are employed.

While patient blood management results in decreased transfusions, transfusions are still reserved as an option to be used when necessary in the patient’s care.

Most patients are willing to provide consent for a potentially life-saving blood transfusion. At the same time, these patients would hope to avoid an unnecessary blood transfusion. Taking steps to minimize or avoid transfusion, if possible, is known as patient blood management.

Our six-point patient blood management plan focuses on ways to reduce blood transfusions. UPMC physicians, nurses, administrators, and support personnel work together to improve patient care by implementing these blood management techniques.

For people who are unable to have blood transfusions, the Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at UPMC offers guidance to doctors and their patients on blood management strategies.

Contact Us

For more information about the Patient Blood Management Program at UPMC, please contact us at 1-877-674-7111.

What's New

Receiving Blood Donated During COVID-19

Learn how blood is safely donated from people who received a COVID-19 vaccine or who have had COVID-19.

Meet Carol

Learn how she underwent heart valve and knee replacement surgeries with the help from UPMC’s bloodless medicine patient advocate and experts.

Now Online: Our Release From Liability (RFL) Form

If you wish to refuse blood and/or blood products for a procedure, hospital stay, etc., you can save time by completing a Release From Liability for Failure to Administer Blood Transfusion Form (RFL) for Patients Who Decline Transfusions (PDF).

Are you pregnant or do you know someone who is?

Bloodless medicine solutions are available for expecting mothers who choose not to receive blood transfusions. Connect with a bloodless medicine advocate early in your pregnancy and learn about available options. Call 877-674-7111 to get started.