Continuing education episode! If a research project has been going on for over 30 years, you would think it's probably pretty good, right? Well, that's how long the REDS research project, sponsored by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has been breaking new ground in Transfusion Medicine. The two co-chairs of the fourth phase, REDS-IV-P, are here to explain why the best is yet to come!
Continuing education episode! For decades, medical personnel have been aware of the technique of “Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution (ANH),” the collection of blood immediately before surgery followed by infusion near the end. Dr. Steve Frank and his colleagues in the Bloodless Medicine Program at Johns Hopkins believe ANH is an underutilized strategy. He joins the BBGuy Essentials Podcast to share the details of ANH, and show how other facilities can implement ANH as a part of their overall Patient Blood Management Program.
Continuing education episode! Blood shortages happen, but the one associated with COVID-19 is unique (and severe!). AABB Chief Medical Officer Dr. Claudia Cohn explains why and gives practical survival tips.
Continuing education episode! Plasma product names are confusing, but few are as misunderstood as Liquid Plasma. Dr. Chris Gresens explains why LP might be perfect for your transfusion service.
Continuing education episode! When most United States-based healthcare providers think of a hemoglobinopathy, sickle cell disease is the first to come to mind. That is understandable, given how frequently that disease is present in the US. However, worldwide, the various forms of thalassemia are a MASSIVE problem. Dr. Sujit Sheth takes us through the details around this deadly global disease, and how transfusion professionals can aid in care of thalassemia patients.
Continuing education episode! Usually, red cell alloantibodies are simple (find an antibody, give antigen-negative blood), but occasionally, some of them don't follow the rules! "Antibodies of variable clinical significance" act differently in different patients, sometimes causing hemolysis and sometimes not. They can be very hard to manage, especially because almost all blood donors are incompatible. The Monocyte Monolayer Assay, developed by today's guest, Sandy Nance, and her colleagues at the American Red Cross, helps answer the question, “Do we search the world for rare units of compatible blood, or can we just transfuse ABO-compatible red cells out of our regular inventory?” It's a great story, and this is a rare chance to hear about the MMA from one of the original sources, and to understand how to use it today.
Platelets have been used to save the lives of patients with low platelet counts for decades. For the most part, they are considered a safe and effective means to correct the problem of a patient not having enough platelets of their own. Despite that, we have wondered for decades about whether or not platelets should be given to patients with certain diseases where their platelets are being removed from circulation, like ITP, TTP, and HIT. My guest in this episode, Dr. Ruchika Goel, looked at platelet transfusion in those three entities, and she has data to share with us that might change the way you transfuse these patients.
In 2017, Dr. Mark Yazer appeared on this podcast to discuss the burgeoning interest in “Low-titer Group O Whole Blood (LTOWB)” for massive transfusions, particularly in trauma settings. Since then, more data and experience are available to guide the use of whole blood for trauma transfusion. Dr. Yazer updates us on the latest whole blood and incompatible plasma transfusion data, and clears up once and for all the "clear fluids" debate! Plus, there's some hockey trash talk...
Continuing education episode! Despite guidance in a 2015 publication from international experts in immunohematology and transfusion medicine, many clinicians and laboratorians have yet to integrateRHD genotyping into routine practice when a patient’s RhD serologic typing is weaker than expected. In this interview, international immunohematology expert Sue Johnson shows us how we can do better!
Continuing education episode! Transfusion reactions that involve the heart and/or lungs, especially TACO and TRALI, are responsible for more transfusion deaths than any other entity. In this interview, Dr. Cserti-Gazdewich focuses on these two reactions and gives tips and strategies to identify, manage, and prevent them.