Welcome to the BeQuinT homepage!
This is an initiative of the Belgian health authority: Federal Public Service of Public Health
About BeQuinT
BeQuinT was created in 2011.
Mission: in the Belgian hospitals:
- the improvement of the quality of transfusion practice and haemovigilance
- the improvement of the consumption of blood components,
- the implementation of Patient Blood Management and the measurement of results based on indicators.
Composition: Representatives of various types of health professionals from the different disciplines, communities and (professional) organisations.
(Chair: Prof. Dr. S. Lessire till July 2024, new chair will be communicated soon)
Project coordinator: Ms. J. Vanden Broeck (jana.vandenbroeck@health.fgov.be).
National surveys
National survey on the quality of hospital transfusion practice
Background: In 2011, no data were available about the quality of hospital transfusion practice at the national level.
Materials and methods: Three consecutive national surveys (2012, 2014 and 2016) were performed in all 111 Belgian hospitals to assess the degree of implementation of standards in four process domains related to red blood cell (RBC) transfusion: general
quality aspects, ordering of RBC, electronic traceability and reporting of adverse events. The surveys were part of a methodology based on informing, feedback and benchmarking. Responses to questions were analysed semi-quantitatively, and hospitals could score 10 points on each of the domains.
Conclusion: The results showed that the applied methodology was a powerful tool to improve quality of transfusion practices and to optimize utilization of RBC at the national level.
More information: see publication in Vox Sanguinis 2021;1-9.
National Patient Blood Management survey
In 2020, all the Belgian hospitals with transfusion committees completed an online survey on PBM.
The survey consisted of 5 sections: 1) organisation, 2) PBM in haemato-oncology, 3) pre-operative PBM, 4) intra- and post-operative PBM, 5) PBM in internal medicine and geriatrics. Click here for a summary of the results.
The second national PBM survey was performed in 2023. The main topics were: 1) PBM implementation, 2) PBM in obstetrics and we added also a chapter on the use of O RhD negative red blood cells.
Working groups
- Immunohaematology
- PBM for general practitioners
- PBM in obstetrics
Former working groups
Events
Here you can find some English presentations of our past events:
- 2024:
- Symposium (programme):
Blood Stocks Management Scheme – Past, present and future (Matthew Bend, UK) (watch it here)
Immunohaematological consequences of transfusion of O RhD positive red cells to RhD negative patients (Matt Hazell, UK) (watch it here)
Experience regarding transfusion of O RhD positive red cells to O RhD negative patients in emergencies (Dr. Corentin Streel, Belgium) (watch it here)
Retrospective estimation - transfusion of O RhD positive red cells in the emergency setting of a major trauma center (Dr. Rudi de Paep, Belgium)
UK risk assessment and health economic evaluation of prehospital transfusion of D-positive whole blood to trauma patients (Prof. Dr. Laura Green, UK)
Golden rules for the proper use of O RhD negative red cells: the opinion of the Superior Health Council, Prof. Dr. Véronique Deneys
- Webinar for clinicians: PBM in obstetrics
Anaemia management in obstetrics (Prof. Dr. Vernon Louw) (watch it here)
Peripartum haemorrhage management (Prof. Dr. Stefan Hofer) (watch it here)
Interventional radiology in peripartum haemorrhage (Dr. Tom De Beule) (watch it here)
- Symposium (programme):
- 2023:
- BeQuinT symposium:
Presentation of the results of the second national PBM survey of BeQuinT
Organisation of PBM (Dr. Caroline Van Aelbrouck)
PBM in obstetrics (Dr. Maud Beran, Dr. Els Bailleul)
Use of O Rh D negative red cells (Dr. René Seghaye, Prof. dr. Véronique Deneys)
PBM implementation: education, benchmarking and evaluation
How local and national benchmarking such as the MAPBM can empower hospitals in PBM implementation? (Prof. dr. Elvira Bisbe)
Is a PBM programme economically reasonable? (Prof. dr. Patrick Meybohm)
How to increase PBM knowledge and to build a strong PBM leadership in a country? (Prof. dr. Vernon Louw)
- BeQuinT symposium:
- 2022:
PBM webinars for clinicians:- Reduction of iatrogenic anaemia
Summary of the literature on strategies to reduce iatrogenic anaemia (Prof. dr. M. Warner) (watch it here)
A simple "Blood-Saving Bundle" to reduce diagnostic blood loss and the transfusion rate in mechanically ventilated patients (Prof. dr. R. Riessen) (watch it here)
Methodology, implementation and evaluation of a local intervention to improve the prescription behaviour of lab tests in haematology (Dr. A. Fisher) (watch it here) - Blood conservation strategies
Cell salvage in obstetrics and cancer surgery as a part of a blood conservation strategy (Prof. dr. T. Seyfried) (watch it here)
Combined platelet and red blood cell recovery (Dr. A. Mansour)
Normovolemic hemodilution ancient or modern? (Prof. dr. J. Meier) (watch it here)
Autologous blood donation(This hyperlink opens a new window) (Prof. dr. S. Lessire) (watch it here) - How to manage preoperative anaemia?
Aetiology of anaemia and iron deficiency and when to refer to a specialist (haematologist – gastroenterologist)? (Prof. Dr. Y. Beguin) (watch it here)
Practical aspects of the treatment of anaemia in a pre- and peri-operative setting (Prof. Dr. Y. Beguin) (watch it here)
- Reduction of iatrogenic anaemia
- 2021:
PBM webinars for clinicians:- Visco-elastic testing as a PBM tool in today clinical practice
Introduction to viscoelastic testing(This hyperlink opens a new window) (Dr. T. Strypens, Belgium) (watch it here)
Point-of-Care Guided Therapy: Development and validation of a ROTEM algorithm (Dr. T. Strypens, Belgium) (watch it here)
Use of ROTEM in clinical practice: clinical cases (Dr. G. Hans, Belgium) (watch it here)
- Single unit transfusion of RBC
Single Unit Transfusion, from transfusion trigger to target (Dr. M. Beran, Belgium) (watch it here)
Single unit transfusion policy: practical approach in the past and in the future of UZ Gent (Ms. N. Dussart, Belgium) (watch it here)
- Optimising the perioperative management of anticoagulants and antiaggregants
And then there were DOACs … (Prof. dr. K. Jochmans, Belgium) (YouTube)
Perioperative management of anticoagulants and antiaggregants (Prof. dr. T. Vanassche, Belgium) (watch it here)
Practical examples of presenting guidelines to the clinic concerning peri-operative anticoagulation management (Dr. E. Bailleul, Belgium) (watch it here)
Anticoagulation management in patients with hip fracture: pitfalls and challenges (Pharm. A.-L. Sennesael, Belgium) (watch it here)
- Visco-elastic testing as a PBM tool in today clinical practice
- 2020:
Patient Blood Management in obstetrics (Dr. S. Pavord, UK)
Planning for the management of potential blood shortages in hospitals in England (Prof. Dr. M. Murphy)
- 2017:
PBM and transfusion services in the UK (Dr. S. Morton, UK)
PBM - What difference does the Transfusion Practitioner make? (Ms. R. Moss, UK)
PBM in Belgium: a personal experience (Prof. Dr. P. Van der Linden, Belgium)
- 2014:
PBM (Prof. Dr. H. Gombotz, Austria)
Single-unit RBC Transfusion Policy (Prof. Dr. G. Stüssi, Switzerland)
Implementation of temperature indicators in the Austrian Tyrol (Prof. Dr. H. Schennach, Austria)