Introduction: The right use of BLOOD is necessary because of the high cost of correct BLOOD screening, BLOOD grouping, and cross match. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the rate of the reserved and cross matched BLOOD before elective surgeries which were done in Bahman 22nd Hospital. It also aims at evaluating the standard guideline for ordering BLOOD.Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study from 1380 to 1388 that evaluates evaluating 6145 files of the patients hospitalized in 22 Bahman 22nd Hospital for surgery during the years of 1380 to 1388. The elective operations include General surgery, Gynecology, orthopedic, ENT, Urology and Neurosurgery. The number of patients, the number of reserved and cross matched units and the number of transfused units was recorded for each group of patients collected in each groups. Finally, the number of reserved BLOOD units in that period of time and in each group was compared with the standard guideline. Also the number of transfused BLOOD units was evaluated. The ratio of cross matched to transfused BLOOD units lower than 2.5 was considered as standard. And The obtained data were analyzed, using with SPSS.Results: A total of 1557 BLOOD units of BLOOD were reserved for 772 patients.1305 units (66.47%) were cross matched, but just 126 units (8.1%) were transfused. The effective factors in increasing the possibility of transfusion were the ages<20 & >80 years old, Hb £ 12, the type of surgery and the surgeon. Although after the application of the guidelines in1385, there was 64.44% decrease in the rate of cross matching rate due to the decrease in the number of patients who were cross matched, but the average of cross matched units for each patient did not change. The total of C/T index of the hospital decreased from 14.1 to 3.7.Conclusion: The appropriate correct BLOOD reserving can decrease the unnecessary BLOOD reserves, lower the pressure on BLOOD banking centers and prevent BLOOD wastage.

Background: BLOOD VISCOSITY and aortic sclerosis (AS) are strong predictors of cardiovascular events. The effects of BLOOD VISCOSITY on AS have not been studied adequately. We aimed to investigate the potential connection between whole BLOOD VISCOSITY (WBV) and AS. Methods: AS was detected by transthoracic echocardiography. The estimation of WBV was carried out at both high shear rate (HSR) (208/s) and low shear rate (LSR) (0. 5/s) by previously validated formulae using hematocrit (HcT) and total protein (TP) in g/L. WBV at HSR (208/s) is: (0. 12 × HcT) + 0. 17 (TP-2. 07) and WBV at LSR (0. 5/s) is: (1. 89 × HcT) + 3. 76 (TP-78. 42). Comparisons of WBV at both HSR and LSR were made between patients with and without AS. Results: We included 94 patients with AS (male = 30. 9%, mean age = 67. 5 y) and 97 control subjects without AS (male =26. 6%, mean age = 69. 1 y). Almost all of the clinical, echocardiographic, and biochemical characteristics were similar, but TP values were significantly higher in the AS group than in the control group (72. 9 ± 5 g/L vs. 75. 8 ± 6. 1 g/L; p value < 0. 001). Hemoglobin and HcT levels were similar (p value = 0. 604 and p value = 0. 431, respectively). In the AS group, WBV at LSR and HSR was higher than that in the control group (p value = 0. 001 for both LSR and HSR). In multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis, WBV was an independent predictor of AS (p value < 0. 001). Conclusion: We found higher WBV in patients with AS than in patients without AS at both LSR (0. 5/s) and HSR (208/s). WBV at both LSR and HSR was independently associated with AS.

Dear Editor: Hemorheological factors, such as VISCOSITY, are significant in determining BLOOD flow characteristics and play an important role in the pathogenesis of thrombotic events and, therefore, cerebrovascular diseases. The VISCOSITY of fluids depends on; particle concentration, shape of the particles, pH of the fluid, and temperature. BLOOD includes many different kinds of proteins such as; fibrinogen, albumin and globulins.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing, especially in low- and middle-income countries. DM leads to changes in BLOOD sugar, cholesterol levels, and BLOOD VISCOSITY. Therefore, seeking alternative medicine with active ingredients to lower BLOOD sugar levels, cholesterol, and BLOOD VISCOSITY is crucial. This study investigated the effects of red ginger extract and Klanceng honey on BLOOD sugar levels, cholesterol, and BLOOD VISCOSITY in diabetic patients with hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia in Pekalongan City, Central Java, Indonesia.  Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test design. The subjects were diabetic patients with hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Thirty participants were randomly assigned to three groups (ginger group, honey group, and combination of ginger and honey group), each with 10 subjects. The dose of red ginger extract was 60 mg/d, while the dose of Klanceng honey was 1 mL/kg/d. The subjects consumed 3-4 capsules of ginger extract, 15-20 mL of Klanceng honey (based on their weight), or a combination of ginger and Klanceng three times a day for 7 consecutive days. SPSS software, version 22 was used to analyze the data. Bivariate and mathematical general linear models (GLM) were applied with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The combination of red ginger and Klanceng honey significantly reduced BLOOD sugar levels (P=0.001; 95% CI, 10.20%, 28.80%), cholesterol (P<0.001; 95% CI, 9.44%, 25.16%), and BLOOD VISCOSITY (P< 0.001; 95% CI, 1.63%, 3.17%) compared to giving Klanceng honey or red ginger alone. A mathematical GLM analysis, controlling for pre-treatment BLOOD values, showed that the combination of red ginger and Klanceng honey reduced BLOOD sugar by 6.89% compared to Klanceng honey and 0.01% compared to red ginger alone. It also lowered cholesterol by 4.00% compared to Klanceng honey and 1.50% compared to red ginger alone. The combination of red ginger and Klanceng honey also reduced VISCOSITY by 3.98% compared to Klanceng honey and by 1.53% compared to red ginger alone. Conclusion: The combination of red ginger extract and Klanceng honey was more effective in reducing BLOOD sugar, cholesterol, and BLOOD VISCOSITY than Klanceng honey and red ginger extract. People with hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia may use the combination of red ginger extract and Klanceng honey to regulate BLOOD sugar, cholesterol, and VISCOSITY. Healthcare providers may recommend this complementary therapy for patients who benefit from it. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer treatment periods may be useful to obtain more precise results.