CBBS Latest Items

New Discussion: Anti-C3b/C3d testing in the evaluation of a positive DAT

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:01:30 -0700

A Blood Bank Specialist in Northeast Wisconsin asks if there are any institutions that have abandoned using anti-C3 reagent and C3 check cells as a cost savings measure. The test for presence of complement coating (with anti-C3b, -C3d reagent) is offered as a reference laboratory send-out test when the DAT (polyspecific reagent) is positive. Is this an acceptable practice?

Global News from Canada

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:58:24 -0700

TraQ April Newsletter (Transfusion Quality Management Program Canada) and latest BLOG.

Revisited Topic: Is it necessary to perform antigen screening when a patient has anti-Jsa?

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:20:54 -0700

A colleague from a transfusion service in the Midwest asks if it is necessary to perform antigen screening of units using either a serologic or molecular method (in addition to crossmatching) for patients with anti-Jsa.

Revisted Topic: Should we irradiate red cells transfused to patients with sickle cell anemia?

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:19:58 -0700

A Blood Bank Supervisor in New York reports that her transfusion service currently has a policy to irradiate blood for exchange transfusion in sickle cell patients (both adult and pediatric). The transfusion service is planning to eliminate this policy barring any compelling evidence to contraindicate such a change. Any feedback would be appreciated.

FDA Guidance for Industry

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:14:47 -0700

Blood Establishment Computer System Validation in the User's Facility

Paper Retracted

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:15:19 -0700

Retraction of First Paper on XMRV Takes Authors by Surprise

Expert Meeting in Brussels

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:17:00 -0700

Expert meeting "Evidence-based transfusion medicine" to be held in Brussels, Belgium April 19, 2013

2013 Annual Meeting- Register Now!

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:00:18 -0700

Early discounted registration and hotel reservations for the 2013 Annual Meeting to be held April 24-27, 2013 in Huntington Beach is available now through April 9th! Don't delay and register now!

Comments Posted: Problem re-labeling a parent unit after removal of an aliquot

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:57:47 -0700

A blood bank technologist reports that her transfusion service is preparing to upgrade their blood bank software and has run into a problem labeling Codabar units. Her facility sometimes removes an aliquot from a unit of RBC for an infant and then uses the remainder of the unit for an adult transfusion. In the new version of the software there is no built-in way to print a label for the remaining parent Codabar unit after removal of an aliquot. They have been unable to come up with a good way to re-label the parent unit that meets regulatory requirements.

White Paper from AdvaMed, EucaMed, ABO

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 09:57:01 -0800

The Value of Harmonization Efforts in Blood Device Medical Technology: Impact of Managed Convergence on Innovation and the Public Health

Short Report published in Vox Sang

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 09:58:00 -0800

Davison KL, et al. The risk of transfusion-transmitted HIV from blood donations of men who have sex with men, 12 months after last sex with a man: 2005–2007 estimates from England and Wales.

New Discussion: Should donors be screened for Wr(a)?

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 09:55:45 -0800

A European colleague in transfusion medicine notes that some blood centers in Europe have established a policy of screening blood donors for the Wr(a) antigen. Wr(a) positive donors are then deferred from donation. The rationale is that there is a remote risk that blood from these donors may cause a hemolytic reaction since anti-Wr(a) antibody is relatively frequent in transfusion recipients. The medical director asks if any U.S. centers defer Wr(a) positive donors based on this reasoning.

New Discussion: Therapeutic Phlebotomy for Testosterone Replacement? REVISITED

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:09:43 -0800

A query originally posted in 2011 is revisited with a review from Michael Petzar, MD, Transfusion Medicine Physician (Interim) at Puget Sound Blood Center in Seattle.

Comments Posted: How much information is really needed to issue blood from the transfusion service?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:58:59 -0800

How much information is really needed to issue a blood product from the transfusion service? Can the paperwork used to issue blood in a pneumatic tube be streamlined?

New Discussion: Is RhIg prophylaxis indicated for D neg women with anti-D?

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:44:32 -0800

A Medical Director in the Midwest asks if anyone worries that a D negative female with anti-D may actually have an antibody against the G antigen instead. To prevent “true” anti-D sensitization, should all D negative mothers be given RhIG prophylaxis even if they have a record of an anti-D antibody on file?

Global News from Belgium

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:43:34 -0800

Acceptance of HFE haemochromatosis gene mutation carriers as blood donors. Notice No. 8672 from Belgian Superior Health Council, 9 January 2013. Available currently in FRENCH and DUTCH.

New Discussion: Strategies to prevent transfusion-transmitted CMV

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:13:10 -0800

A Pathologist in Northern California asks two questions re-visiting issues in transfusion-transmitted CMV:
What institutions consider leukoreduced blood products “CMV-safe” and no longer issue CMV-tested seronegative products?
What is the status of nucleic acid testing for CMV in blood donations to capture donors in the window-period of CMV viremia?

CBBS 2013 Regional Seminar

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:11:43 -0800

Discounted early registration for the Transfusion Medicine Regional Seminar, to be presented by the Quality, Safety and Compliance Committees on March 2, 2013 is open now thru Feb 24th.

New Discussion: Are platelets being tranfused too rapidly?

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:53:35 -0800

A pathologist in the Midwest submits the following for discussion:
It has become customary to transfuse platelets over a very short time period - usually 20 minutes or even less. In the era where both TACO and bacterial contamination of platelets are being increasingly recognized it makes sense to transfuse platelets more slowly so that should a complication occur as above the medical repercussions can be limited. I would appreciate other's insights regarding the duration over which platelets are transfused.

New Discussion:Continuous Observation of Blood Donors

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:54:24 -0800

A VP of a blood donor center in California asks how other facilities handle the Title 17 California Code of Regulations (CCR) requirement that “donors shall be kept under continuous observation throughout the entire procedure of blood collection and for at least 15 minutes thereafter.” If a phlebotomist is running a two-bed whole blood donor section, how does continuous observation apply?

New Ahead of Print Article

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:56:05 -0800

Ahead of Print Article: Viremic profiles in asymptomatic and symptomatic chikungunya fever: a blood transfusion threat?.

New Discussion: Use of Ringer's Lactate Solution with Blood in Trauma Patients

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:29:23 -0800

A Blood Bank Technical Specialist in the Midwest says that his hospital Emergency Department is requesting that the transfusion service consider allowing rapid co-infusion of Ringer’s lactate (RL) solution with RBC in trauma patients. Do other hospitals use RL in the Emergency Department with blood during trauma resuscitation?

New Discussion:Use of liquid plasma for resuscitation of actively bleeding trauma patients

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 10:27:20 -0800

A blood bank consultant in Texas is working with her hospital emergency medical services director to determine if plasma should be available for use on their life flight helicopters during transport of actively bleeding patients. Any comments or the rationale for carrying various plasma products on helicopter transport flights would be welcome.

New Full Text Article of Interest

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 10:24:33 -0800

Nacionales DC, et al. The Acute Immunological Response to Blood Transfusion Is Influenced by Polymicrobial Sepsis.

FDA Safety Communication

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:39:20 -0800

Updated information on the risks of thrombosis and hemolysis potentially related to administration of intravenous, subcutaneous and intramuscular human immune globulin products

New Discussion: Should the blood bank waste plasma left in the waterbath?

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:34:50 -0800

Is there is a guideline as to how long thawed FFP or CRYO can stay in the 30-37C waterbath while thawing and still be good to use. Recently a blood bank supervisor discarded 2 units of FFP that sat in the waterbath for over an hour. She cannot find anything specific in the AABB Standards that addresses this concern. Should the FFP and CRYO left in the waterbath be wasted?

New Discussion: Transfusion of Platelets via Infusion Pump

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:36:18 -0800

A request is made for advice, experience, or literature associated with the administration of platelets using a free-flow method vs. infusion pump (not a fluid warmer). Is one of these infusion methods superior to the other? Are there any issues associated with platelet transfusion by pump such as platelet dysfunction?

New Discussion: Centrifuge Settings for Pretransfusion Specimens?

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:37:36 -0800

A Blood Banker from Texas asks: Is there is a standard set for the centrifuge time and speed when spinning blood bank specimens for pre-transfusion testing?

Comments Added: Document Retention and Lookback

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:32:41 -0800

A Blood Bank physician on the East Coast notes that AABB Standards require 10-year document retention for donation history (except for permanent deferrals which are retained indefinitely) and for transfusion records to patients (final disposition of each unit). Are any facilities keeping the transfusion records longer? Two responses have been received.

New Comments: Washing Cord Blood for ABO Typing

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:31:19 -0700

A colleague in Florida notes that traditionally “4 or more” washes are recommended when performing ABO typing on cord blood. Are there any specific references stating this requirement? And has the wash procedure ever been validated or is validation necessary at each facility?

New Discussion: Antibody identification after RhIG administration

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:30:49 -0700

A blood bank technologist from a medical center in Montana asks what policies are in place at other facilities for antibody identification in pregnant women with positive antibody screens and a known history of RhIG administration. Specifically, if the antibody screen is positive, do you perform a panel to confirm that the antibody is anti-D?

New ePub Ahead of Print Editorial of Interest

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:12:23 -0700

Emerging Human Coronaviruses - Disease Potential and Preparedness.

New Discussion: Apheresis donors during earthquake drills

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:08:29 -0700

The Medical Director of a west coast blood center was asked by her blood center safety officer if there is a standard procedure for dealing with apheresis donors on machines during an earthquake drill. The donor center recently had such a drill and the question arose as to what to do about donors in the middle of apheresis procedures.

New Ahead of Print Articles of Interest

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:28:45 -0700

Consistency and Proportionality in Policy Decision-Making in Blood Safety: the Case for an All-Apheresis Platelet Supply in Germany AND The association of blood transfusion with mortality after cardiac surgery: cause or confounding?

New Discussion: Transfusion Support to a Distant ER by a Level I Trauma Center

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:52:26 -0700

A Blood Bank Medical Director at a hospital in the Southeast with a Level I trauma center was told recently that his transfusion service will be overseeing blood products stored and transfused to patients in a freestanding ER 10 miles away from his facility.The Director wonders if other hospital transfusion services have encountered a similar situation.

Ahead of Print JAMA Article

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:47:58 -0700

Fergusson DA, et al. Effect of Fresh Red Blood Cell Transfusions on Clinical Outcomes in Premature, Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants: The ARIPI Randomized Trial.

AABB Association Bulletin #12-04

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:46:37 -0700

Recommendations to Address Residual Risk of Bacterial Contamination of Platelets (AABB Membership required to access)

Emerging Infectious Disease Breaking News

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:10:30 -0700

New SARS-like virus detected in Middle East. New Early Release article now published in MMWR.

AABB Association Bulletin #12-03

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:40:28 -0700

Strategies to Monitor, Limit, or Prevent Iron Deficiency in Blood Donors (AABB Membership required to access)

AABB Association Bulletin #12-02

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:41:02 -0700

TRALI Risk Mitigation Update (AABB Membership required to access)

New Article: No evidence of association between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and either XMRV or pMLV

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:46:22 -0700

Alter HJ, et al. A Multicenter Blinded Analysis Indicates No Association between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and either Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus or Polytropic Murine Leukemia Virus.

Global News from Australia

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:43:50 -0700

Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Third Module Medical now available

New Discussion: Switching to a new Fetomaternal Hemorrhage Screen test

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:37:58 -0700

A medical technologist from the Midwest is interested in evaluating a new fetomaternal hemorrhage screening test (rosette test) that uses an IgM anti-D reagent and allows for a 5-min RT incubation. The blood banker asks if any forum members have migrated to a similar FMH screen test and could share experiences that might be useful in making this transition.

New Discussion: Request for therapeutic phlebotomy for secondary hemochromatosis in alpha-thalassemia/HbH disease

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:39:13 -0700

The Medical Director of a Transfusion Service received a request to start a therapeutic phlebotomy regimen for a patient in the fifth decade of life with alpha-thal/HbH and hemochromatosis. Does anyone have thoughts/experience in phlebotomy to treat secondary hemochromatosis in thalassemia or other congenital hemolytic anemia?

Comments Received: Is it necessary to place ABO/Rh confirmation labels on units?

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:35:59 -0700

A blood bank colleague from the Southeast asks if it is necessary for a transfusion service to place ABO/Rh confirmation labels on red blood cell units received from a blood supplier after ABO/Rh confirmation testing. A Transfusion Service Supervisor at a regional medical center in the South describes her facility's system.

CDC Malaria in Greece Update

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:21:29 -0700

Greece Update: CDC recommends preventive antimalarial drugs for travel to the agricultural areas of Evrotas in the Laconia region. AABB Standard Requires Donor Deferral.

Ahead of Print Article of Interest

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:14:21 -0700

Ahead of Print Article: Signing at the beginning makes ethics salient and decreases dishonest self-reports in comparison to signing at the end.

Sanquin Blood Supply (The Netherlands) Blood Transfusion Guideline 2011

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:02:23 -0700

The Sanquin Blood Supply Blood Transfusion Guideline 2011 is now available in English

Additional Comments Posted in Discussion RE: Use of O positive RBC in Trauma

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:04:47 -0700

Two questions for consideration: What RBC product (O+ or O-) do you use for trauma patients before the ABO/Rh type is performed? If O+ RBCs are transfused to an O- recipient, do you consider giving RhIG prophylaxis to prevent anti-D formation? Drs. Paul Ness,Karen King and Paul Schmidt, have offered responses.

CBBS Today

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:37:10 -0700

The Fall 2012 Issue of CBBS Today has been published. Be sure to check out the online CEU feature.

Ahead of Print Article of Interest

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:21:52 -0700

De Buck E, Pauwels NS, Dieltjens T, Compernolle V, Vandekerckhove P. Is blood of uncomplicated hemochromatosis patients safe and effective for blood transfusion? A systematic review.

Emerging Infectious Disease Recent News Items

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:18:01 -0700

Hantavirus: Yosemite officials say 1,700 visitors risk disease
Usutu Virus - Germany 1st Case: For the 1st time human infection with the tropical Usutu virus has been detected in Germany, confirmed in a blood donor.
ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) launches guidelines for invasive mosquitoes’ surveillance.

President's Message

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:02:16 -0700

Michael Hayward, 2012-2013 CBBS President has updated his Presidential Message.

Comments Submitted: Donors presenting to donate blood in order to decrease hematocrit

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 05:50:25 -0700

The medical director of a blood center reports that donors occasionally say that their physicians have recommended that they donate blood. The most common reason is increasing hematocrit in men on testosterone therapy. In the opinion of the director, these donors should be treated as therapeutic phlebotomy patients rather than volunteer allogeneic blood donors.

Fresenius Kabi to Acquire Fenwal

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 08:09:55 -0700

Companies combine complementary products, technologies and strategies for transfusion medicine.

New Discussion: Difference in upper vs. lower shelf temperatures in a blood product storage refrigerator

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 11:08:00 -0700

A blood bank manager in Northern California states that her blood bank has a newer double-door refrigerator with temperature probes placed to monitor both upper and lower shelf temperatures. Is there any standard stating that the upper and lower temperatures of a blood product storage refrigerator must match within 1° C?

FDA Enforcement Report now in new format

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 11:11:55 -0700

This weekly report is now being presented as an online data-driven report.

FDA Draft Guidance for Industry

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:16:04 -0700

Amendment to Guidance for Industry: Revised Preventive Measures to Reduce the Possible Risk of Transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease by Blood and Blood Products (FDA/CBER)

New Discussion: Significance of a positive DAT in teen blood donors

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:07:47 -0700

The Medical Director of a blood donor center in the West notes that in the last year, the Director’s facility reference laboratory has seen an increased number of young donors (less than 19 years of age) with positive direct antiglobulin tests. Does anyone have any ideas or theories as to why a young, apparently healthy person would have a positive DAT?

Revisted Issue: Crossmatching both parts of a double RBC collection by apheresis

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:08:31 -0700

A blood banker at a donor center in the Midwest asks if the issue of whether it is necessary to crossmatch both parts of a double red cell (automated RBC by apheresis) collection been addressed by AABB? What is the current standard of practice?

New Discussion: How to validate an infrared thermometer

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:09:44 -0700

A Senior Medical Technologist in the Midwest recently purchased a traceable infrared thermometer for the Blood Bank. The technologist found some literature on validating the thermometer such as proper liquids/containers to use. Can anyone provide additional feedback on how to properly validate the infrared thermometer?

New CBBS Jobs Portal launched

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 15:39:12 -0700

CBBS is proud to announce the launch of the new CBBS Jobs Portal. Many new features are included for both employers and job seekers.

Responses Received on Informed Consent Discussion

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:28:07 -0700

An RN from a medical center in Southern California asks how long before a transfusion is given can the patient's consent be obtained? Since elective surgeries are sometimes scheduled 30-60 days in advance, would getting the blood consent signed at this time be valid?