A Staffing Coordinator at a Medical Center in Mohave, Arizona reports that she is aware of the Section 1645 of the California Health and Safety Code which states: "1645. Blood transfusions; informed consent procedures; autologous blood and directed and nondirected homologous blood. (a) Whenever there is a reasonable possibility, as determined by a physician and surgeon, that a blood transfusion may be necessary as a result of a medical or surgical procedure, the physician and surgeon, by means of a standard written summary as most recently developed or revised by the State Department of Health Services pursuant to subdivision (e), shall inform the patient of the positive and negative aspects of receiving autologous blood and directed and nondirected homologous blood from volunteers. For purposes of this section, the term 'autologous blood' includes, but is not limited to, predonation, intraoperative autologous transfusion, plasmapheresis, and hemodilution." She would like to know what other states in the US have similar requirements/laws.

The following comments have been received.

ADDENDA Jan. 21, 2006

1. A physician who directs a Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine Service at a University Hospital in New Jersey reports that her state has a law which is similar to the California Paul Gann Blood Safety Act (also see pdf file).

ADDENDA Jan. 30, 2008

2. Editor's Note: Senate Bill 102 was introduced by Senator Carole Migden in January 2007. The bill was approved by the Governor in July 2007 and has been chaptered. The previous version of the Paul Gann Blood Safety Act required that a physician inform the patient of the positive and negative aspects of receiving autologous blood and directed and nondirected homologous blood from volunteers, whenever there was a reasonable possibility that a blood transfusion may be necessary as a result of a medical procedure, and by means of a standardized written summary that is published by the Medical Board of California. The new version of the law expands the list of individuals who may provide the written summary to include doctors of podiatric medicine. Furthermore, the new law permits that the information be given directly by the physician or doctor of podiatric medicine, or indirectly via a nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or physician assistant, who is authorized to order a blood transfusion. Click HERE for full text of the chaptered bill.

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Ira A. Shulman, MD
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W. Tait Stevens, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Assistant Editor & Moderator