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BACKGROUND:  Ten to 15 percent of all RBCs are used in the care of injury. Understanding patterns of RBC use is important. Routine resource allocation, planning for mass casualty situations, designing research, and optimizing triage all can be usefully informed.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  Blood Bank and Trauma Registry records were linked to produce a transfused blood product list for each patient directly admitted from the scene of injury to a large Level 1 trauma center in calendar year 2000. Categorical associations between demographic data, Injury Severity Score, transfused products, and outcome were sought. Special attention was paid to the groups receiving uncross‐matched RBCs and more than 10 units of RBCs.

RESULTS:  Eight percent (479/5645) of acute trauma patients received RBCs, using 5219 units and sustaining an overall mortality of 27 percent. Sixty‐two percent of RBCs were …