Executive summary

This document, Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Module 3 – Medical, is the third in a series of six modules that focus on evidence-based patient blood management. The other five modules are critical bleeding/massive transfusion, perioperative, critical care, obstetrics and paediatrics (including neonates). Together, Module 2 (Perioperative) and Module 3 (Medical) cover all the patient groups addressed by the 2001 document Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Use of Blood Components¹ (National Health and Medical Research Council/Australasian Society of Blood Transfusion, NHMRC/ASBT). Thus, the 2001 guidelines have now been replaced.

This document was developed by a Clinical/Consumer Reference Group (CRG) representing specialist colleges, organisations and societies, with the active participation of the clinical community.

This executive summary includes:

• a summary of the recommendations that were developed by the CRG, based on evidence from a systematic review
• a summary of the practice points that were developed by the CRG through consensus decision making.

Details of the systematic reviews used in the development of this module are given in the two-volume technical report that accompanies this document.

Materials relevant to consumers and to clinicians managing medical patients will be developed to accompany this module; these materials will be available online and in print.