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General News | Specific countries | Diseases | Industry News | Resource Library | Journals
Collaborating Site: CSTM

General

• Pioneers of blood group serology in the United States:1950–1990. Immunohematology 2009;25(3): 90-4. | Table 2 has a list of AABB Ivor Dunsford Memorial Award honorees (1963-2003) that all transfusion serologists will recognize.
• USA: Congress must meet the moment to hold Big Pharma accountable (28 Dec. 2021)
• Omicron COVID-19 variant spread quickly to most nations: WHO (15 Dec. 2021)
• New inhaled SARS-CoV-2 antibody treatment set to enter clinical trials (13 Dec. 2021)
• USA: Most reported U.S. Omicron cases have hit the fully vaccinated -CDC (10 Dec. 2021)
• How does access to transfusion services affect hospice decision-making? (10 Dec. 2021)
• WHO: While African COVID-19 cases surge, omicron appears less severe (9 Dec. 2021)
• WHO - Omicron could have 'major impact', but no definitive answers yet (9 Dec. 2021)
• USA: CDC updates its guidelines to encourage doctors to talk everyone who is sexually active about PrEP to prevent HIV (8 Dec. 2021) | Related:
  • NIH: HIV Prevention (PreP)
  • CDC: HIV Basics (PreP)
  • CDC: Preexposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection in the United States ­ 2021 Update (A Clinical Practice Guideline, 108 pp. pdf)
• WHO advises against use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 (7 Dec. 2021)
• In memoriam: W. John Judd, FIBMS, MIBIOL (6 Dec. 2021)
• In Memoriam: Dr. Alvin Zipursky devoted his career to eradicating Rh disease and inspired others to continue his work (8 Nov. 2021) | Also Google "Alvin Zipursky obituary".
• Blood transfusion reactions in dogs | VCA Hospitals (USA & Canada)
• AABB Standards Committee seeks input to these guide updates - Comments on all by 7 Jan. 2022:
  • AABB Standards for Molecular Testing for Red Cell, Platelet and Neutrophil Antigens, Sixth Edition (Takes effect Oct. 1, 2022)
  • AABB Standards for Perioperative Autologous Blood Collection and Administration, 10th Edition (Takes effect 1 Jan. 2023)
  • AABB Standards for a Patient Blood Management Program, Fourth Edition (Takes effect 1 July 1, 2023)
• Blood groups A, B, Rh+ are at high risk to COVID-19 infection: study (30 Nov. 2021) | Related:
  • Rana R, Ranjan V, Kumar N. Association of ABO and Rh blood group in susceptibility, severity, and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019: a hospital-based study from Delhi, India. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021 Nov 2;11:767771. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Dr. Dana Devine, Canadian Blood Services’ chief scientist, inaugurated as president of the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies -AABB (Nov.12 2021)

Canada

• Saskatoon family hopes their story will inspire more people to donate blood (18 Dec. 2021)
• CBS: An update on our journey to build a more inclusive blood system (15 Dec. 2021)
• ORBCoN resources:
  • November newsletter
  • Bloody Easy Blood Administration eLearning
  • Platelet Transfusion Toolkit. v1 (April 2021)
• CBS: Professional education events (3 in Dec. 2021)

Australia

• 'Without them I would not be here': Blood donor plea as people fail to show (29 Nov. 2021)

India

• Mumbai: Six-fold jump in city dengue cases this year (24 Dec. 2021)
• Who will apologise for plasma therapy? It was a disaster for Covid-19, govt hospitals knew (9 Dec. 2021)
• Punjab health dept told to pay 5 lakh for hepatitis C infected blood infusion (5 Dec. 2021) | 5 lahk is ~$6600 USD
• Mumbai: Tata Memorial Centre to help 50,000 cancer patients annually with blood transfusion by performing NAT testing of donated blood (26 Nov. 2021)
• Jharkhand News digest: Dalotganj blood bank in shambles (25 Nov. 2021)

Ireland

• Easing of blood donation restrictions on gay and bisexual men to be introduced in March (22 Dec. 2021)
• Republic of Ireland to import blood stocks from the NHS again (22 Dec. 2021)
• ‘The reward is seeing how important the process of blood donation is’ (9 Dec. 2021) | Interview with Dr. Allison Waters, research and development lead facilitator at IBTS.

Korea

• Hospital staffers save patient with direct transfusion (1 Dec. 2021)

Nepal

• Rukum (West) residents demand blood transfusion centres (19 Dec. 2021)

Nigeria

• Improved working conditions, not bond signing, will solve medical brain drain – Prof Kuliya-Gwarzo, past president, Nigerian Society of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (28 Nov. 2021)

Spain

• Majorca: “My son’s life depends on blood transfusions” (28 Nov. 2021)

Turkey

• Cat lends blood to save ailing sister's life in western Turkey (4 Dec. 2021)

UAE

• Abu Dhabi: Indian women's group donates rare blood types to help save lives (25 Dec. 2021)

UK

• Cambridgeshire mother whose premature son needed 14 transfusions makes 'give blood' plea amid COVID-19 cancellations (24 Dec. 2021)
• Scotland: Concerning drop in blood donor numbers (20 Dec. 2021)
• Infected Blood Inquiry: November 2021 newsletter
• Infected Blood Inquiry - News:
  • Wife of tainted blood victim in payout plea for victims after her Alzheimer's-stricken husband spends 'last Christmas' waiting for justice (26 Dec. 2021)
  • Fareham victim of infected blood scandal feels like 'dead woman walking' as public inquiry rolls on (23 Dec. 2021)
  • Labour MP vows to continue to fight for infected blood victims (7 Dec. 2021)
  • Transfusion centre was a 'disaster zone' (3 Dec. 2021) | Features testimony by Dr. Marcela Contreras (now a Dame of the UK) | Related: Her testimony at the Inquiry
  • Leicestershire mother urges more men to become bone marrow donors (28 Nov. 2021)
  • Doctor's 1983 AIDS statement 'unfortunate' (1 Dec. 2021) | Ahead of the session,chairman Dr Brian Langstaff, said it was "fitting" evidence about AIDS was being heard on 1 Dec., which marks World AIDS Day.

USA

• Get a free pizza, Phoenix Open ticket voucher by giving blood in Tempe during shortage (27 Dec. 2021)
• US army creates single vaccine against all COVID & SARS variants, researchers say (21 Dec. 2021)
• FDA approves first injectable treatment for HIV pre-exposure prevention (20 Dec. 2021)
• FDA approves first drug to prevent acute graft versus host disease (15 Dec. 2021)
• Court reinstates health worker coronavirus vaccine mandate in half of US (15 Dec. 2021)
• Blood supply reaching desperately low levels (10 Dec. 2021)
• Pets in southern Arizona in urgent need of blood donors (10 Dec. 2021)
• West Michigan Air Care becomes first in state to offer whole blood transfusions in the sky (8 Dec. 2021)
• Austin-Travis County EMS medics now equipped to provide life-saving blood transfusions in the field (8 Dec. 2021)
• 11-year-old Houston boy meets San Diego man who saved his life (4 Dec. 2021)
• Michigan shooting activates US emergency blood reserve (1 Dec. 2021)
• Area hospitals struggle to find beds for transfers (1 Dec. 2021)
• FDA grants priority review to bluebird bio's Beti-Cel for ß-thalassemia requiring transfusions (22 Nov. 2021)
• Nearly 1,500 U.S. businesses now advertise purported stem cell therapies without FDA-approved license (10 Nov. 2021) | Related:
  • Turner L. The American stem cell sell in 2021: U.S. businesses selling unlicensed and unproven stem cell interventions. Cell Stem Cell. 2021 Nov 4;28(11):1891-5.

Industry news

• Big pharma: See General news above
• Stem companies: See USA above
• bluebird bio: See USA above
• Theranos: Elizabeth Holmes denies misleading investors in trial testimony (7 Dec. 2021)
• UniQure: Fresh data show UniQure's hemophilia gene therapy appears to hold up (9 Dec. 2021)

Diseases in the news

• COVID-19: See General news, Korea, UK, USA above and Journals below
• HCV/HIV: See General news and UK above
• HIV: See Canada and Ireland above

Resource Library

• NOTE: Starting January 2021 items in the Resource Library will consist of new or recently added ones. The remaining resources will be in Resource Library Archives. You can also access each country's archived resources individually:
  • Australia | Canada | UK
• CANADA:
  • CBS, BC & Yukon Region WNV Update (20 Aug. 2021)
  • BC MOH/CBS/PBCO: BC Contingency Plan for Arboviruses & The Blood Supply 2021 (Reviewed June 2021)
  • CBS: FAQ: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in immunoglobulin products (Updated: 5 Oct. 2021)
  • CBS: Learning about organ and tissue donation portal (K-12) | Portal created by CBS collaborating with Canada's organ/tissue donation and transplant organizations.
  • CBS: Funded research projects
  • CBS: Yan M. Adverse reactions reporting. Canadian Blood Services; Rev. Sept. 2021 [cited 2021/10/05]
  • CBS: FAQ: Information for health professionals on safety of transfused blood collected from COVID-19-vaccinated donors
  • CBS: Khandelwal A. Impact of COVID-19 on blood donation in Canada [Internet]. Ottawa: Canadian Blood Services; 2021 May.
  • CBS: COVID-19: Update on organ donation and transplantation services (Links to many resources)
  • CBS Clinical Guide to Transfusion:
    • Chapter 11: Trudeau JD, Dawe P, Shih AW. Massive hemorrhage and emergency transfusion. In: Clarke G, Chargé S, editors. Clinical Guide to Transfusion. Canadian Blood Services, 2021 Sept.7 [cited 2021/10/05].
    • Chapter 6: Donor Selection, Donor Testing and Pathogen Reduction (13 Apr. 2021)
    • Chapter 16: Preoperative Autologous Donation (21 Apr. 2021)
  • CBS: Ch. 2. Blood Components [Clinical Guide to Transfusion] (Updated: 15 Jan. 2021)
  • CBS: Upcoming educational events (5 in Oct. 2021)
  • Héma-Québec: Multiple videos on [blood donation, plasma donation, stem cell donation, mother's milk donation, sickle cell anemia & more]
  • NEW ORBCoN: November newsletter
  • NEW ORBCoN: Bloody Easy Blood Administration eLearning
  • ORBCoN: Platelet Transfusion Toolkit. v1 (April 2021)
  • ORBCoN: Massive Hemorrhage Protocol
  • PBCO:
    • 2019-20 year end data presentation
    • 2019-20 BC transfusion reaction presentation
• Australia/NZ:
  • Guidelines for the prescription of blood and blood products by nurse practitioners, ed. 1 (ANZSBT, Oct. 2021) | 22 pp. pdf
  • Guidelines for the laboratory estimation of fetomaternal haemorrhage, ed 2 (ANZSBT, Sept. 2021) | 23 pp. pdf
• ISBT: Abstracts of 31st Regional ISBT Congress, Virtual meeting (2-8 June). Vox Sang 2021;116, (S1): 5-198. Epub 31 May, 2021. | Related:
  • Author index (189-198)
• ISBT: Introduction to Blood Transfusion: from donor to recipient. ISBT Science Series (2020) Epub 2020 Dec 11 (Free ebook, 332 pp.)
• UK:
  • NEW SHOT Bite No. 21 (Dec. 2021)
  • NHSBT: Blood Assist | Covers 8 core stages of blood administration, including positive patient identification, consent, compatibility, transfusion reactions and more.
  • Live illustrations from the Annual SHOT Symposium 2021 (by Jenny Leonard):
    • Expertise in Practice
    • Ideas & Developments
    • Learning from the Outside
    • Looking at Transfusion as a Whole
  • SHOT Report 2020 (240 pp.)
  • Cases from the 2020 Annual SHOT Report (137 slides)
  • SHOT:
    • Transfusion Aide Memoire (2021) | Transfusion essentials for health care professionals
    • Safe transfusions in haemopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (2021)
    • SHOT definitions (Rev. Feb. 2021)
    • TACO pretransfusion checklist (2021)
  • NHS: The role of the haematology /transfusion consultant scientist in the delivery of clinical and laboratory haematology services: An education and training solution and a workforce solution. National School of Healthcare Science Haematology Workforce Working Group (September 2020)
  • UK SHOT: Animated videos (31 Mar. 2021)
    • Understanding Human Factors in Transfusion Pt 1 (5:55 mins)
    • Understanding Human Factors in Transfusion Pt 2 (7:24 mins)
  • SHOT webinar on Haemolytic Transfusion Reactions (12 Mar. 2021) | 55 Min. video
  • NHSBT: Patient Blood Management launches Blood Assist app to support and promote safe blood component administration(1 Feb. 2021) | App can be downloaded onto personal devices or centrally in clinical areas.
• USA (AABB):
  • Monthly podcasts from the Journal Transfusion
  • Pocket Reference Cards:
    • Taken from NHSN Biovigilance Component: Hemovigilance Module Surveillance Protocol v2.6 (March 2021)
    • Standard for Surveillance of Complications Related to Blood Donation (Dec. 2014)
    • Severity Grading Tool for Blood Donor Adverse Events (Dec. 2014)

Journals, etc.

Free full text papers | * 1 or more Canadian authors

• Free sample journal issues:
  • Transfus Med Rev 2021 Jan;35(1):1-66. (Free text articles)
  • Brit J Haematol 2017 June;177(6):827-1007. | Special Issue:Low to middle income countries
• Open access journal: The Lancet Digital Health 2019 May;1(1):e1-e44.
• Open access journal: Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy, Journal of the Brasilian Association of Hematology, Hemotherapy and Cell Therapy (ABHH)
• NEW ARC journal (9 free articles): Immunohematology: Journal of Blood Group Serology and Molecular Genetics 2019;35(2)
• Transfus Med Hemother 2019 Oct; 46(5): Many open access articles
• Open access journal (May 2020): The Lancet Microbe
• *Adegboye J, Sapatnekar S, Mascha EJ, et al. Prolonged blood storage and risk of posttransfusion acute kidney injury. Anesthesiology. 2022 Jan 1;136(1):138-47.
• Bahreini S, Javadzadeh Shahshahani H, Nasizadeh S, Ahmadinejad M. The activity of labile coagulation factors and fibrinogen in thawed plasma during a 5 day storage period in the hospital blood bank refrigerator. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec;31(6):494-8. Epub 2021 Oct 3.
• Boey KPY, Zhu P, Tan H, et al. Effects of cryopreservation on gram-positive bacteria contaminants in umbilical cord blood. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec 3. Epub ahead of print.
• Brunetta DM, Carvalho L, Barbosa S, et al. The use of social media as a tool for patient blood management and transfusion medicine education. Vox Sang. 2021 Nov 23. Epub ahead of print.
• Chen L, Liu Y, Xu H, et al. Touchable cell biophysics property recognition platforms enable multifunctional blood smart health care. Microsyst Nanoeng. 2021 Dec 8;7:103. | PubMed abstract
• Czerwinski M, Kaczmarek R, Glensk U. Ludwik Hirszfeld: A pioneer of transfusion and immunology during the world wars and beyond. Vox Sang. 2021 Nov 7. Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• Douville NJ, Davis R, Jewell E, et al. Volume of packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma is associated with intraoperative hypocalcaemia during large volume intraoperative transfusion. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec;31(6):447-5. Epub 2021 Jun 18.
• Franchinard L, Maisonneuve E, Friszer S, et al. Perinatal risk factors associated with severity of haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn due to Rhc maternal-foetal incompatibility: A retrospective cohort study. Vox Sang. 2021 Nov 7. Epub ahead of print.
• Gupta T, Kannan S, Kalra B, Thakkar P. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials testing the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Evidence-base for practise and implications for research. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec;31(6):409-20. Epub 2021 Jun 29. | PubMed abstract
• Gurnari C, Nautiyal I, Pagliuca S. Current opinions on the clinical utility of Ravulizumab for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. (Review) Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2021 Dec 14;17:1343-51.
• Hayden PJ, Roddie C, Bader P, et al. Management of adults and children receiving CAR T-cell therapy: 2021 Best Practice Recommendations of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the Joint Accreditation Committee of ISCT and EBMT (JACIE) and the European Haematology Association (EHA). Ann Oncol. 2021 Dec 16:S0923-7534(21)04876-6. Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• Hirani R, Hoad V, Gosbell IB, Irving DO. Absence of correlation between ABO Rh(D) blood group and neutralizing antibody titers in SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma donors. Transfusion. 2021 Dec 22. Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• Hui YMT, Gurung K, Layton DM, et al. Sickle cell disease patients in two London trusts: Genotyping including RH variants. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec 1. Epub ahead of print.
• Hvas CL, Larsen JB, Adelborg K, et al. Dynamic hemostasis and fibrinolysis assays in intensive care COVID-19 patients and association with thrombosis and bleeding-a systematic review and a cohort study. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2021 Oct 29. Epub ahead of print.
• Jani P, Balegarvirupakshappa K, Moore JE, et al. Regional oxygenation and perfusion monitoring to optimize neonatal packed red blood cell transfusion practices: a systematic review. Transfus Med Rev. 2021 Sep 29:S0887-7963(21)00047-X. Epub ahead of print.
• Klok FA, Pai M, Huisman MV, Makris M. Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia. Lancet Haematol. 2021 Nov 11:S2352-3026(21)00306-9. Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• Kloypan C, Koomdee N, Satapornpong P, et al. A comprehensive review of HLA and severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions: implication for clinical pharmacogenomics and precision medicine. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Oct 25;14(11):1077. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Korkmaz E, Korkut S, Akkoyun N. A retrospective analysis of transfusion reactions at a tertiary care center: an institutional hemovigilance study. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021 Dec;52(12):581-8. Epub 2021 Dec 1.
• * Lewin A, Renaud C, Boivin A, Germain M. Active seeking of post-donation information to minimize a potential threat to transfusion safety: A pilot programme in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vox Sang. 2021 Nov 23. Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• Liubchak VV, Khomenko LM, Kovalishyn MP, et al. Medical and economic analysis of the choice of therapeutic plasmapheresis method to optimize the tra
• Ludwig H, Sonneveld P, Facon T, et al. COVID-19 vaccination in patients with multiple myeloma: a consensus of the European Myeloma Network. Lancet Haematol. 2021 Dec;8(12):e934-46. Epub 2021 Oct 28. PubMed abstract
• Malhotra S, Negi G, Sharma SK, Kaur R. A prospective interventional study to assess the impact of a 'structured compact training' on knowledge and skills of safe blood transfusion practices among nurses working in a tertiary care institute. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec 5. Epub ahead of print.
• Oganesyan A, Ghahramanyan N, Mekinian A, et al. Managing multiple myeloma in a resource-limited region: Diagnosis and treatment in Armenia. Semin Oncol. 2021 Nov 26:S0093-7754(21)00073-7. Epub ahead of print.
• Osemwengie D, Lagerberg JW, Vlaar R, et al. Recovery of platelet-rich red blood cells and acquisition of convalescent plasma with a novel gravity-driven blood separation device. Transfus Med. 2021 Nov 10. Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• Pierce-Williams RAM, Makhamreh MM, Blakey-Cheung S, et al. Postpartum hemorrhage in patients with Type 1 von Willebrand Disease: a systematic review. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2021 Nov 8. Epub ahead of print.
• * Pinkerton PH. Reginald Saxton: An unlikely pioneer of battleground blood transfusion. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec;31(6):395-9. Epub 2021 Apr 22. (Preview)
• Rana R, Ranjan V, Kumar N. Association of ABO and Rh blood group in susceptibility, severity, and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019: a hospital-based study from Delhi, India. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021 Nov 2;11:767771. | PubMed abstract 
• RECOVERY Collaborative Group. Aspirin in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial. Lancet. 2021 Nov 17:S0140-6736(21)01825-0. Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• Roberts N, James SL, Delaney M, Fitzmaurice C. Blood transfusion trends by disease category in the United States, 2000 to 2014. Transfus Apher Sci. 2021 Feb;60(1):103012. Epub 2020 Nov 21.
• Roman MA, Abbasciano RG, Pathak S, et al. Patient blood management interventions do not lead to important clinical benefits or cost-effectiveness for major surgery: a network meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2021 Jan;126(1):149-56. Epub 2020 Jun 30. | PubMed abstract
• Rosa V, Hazell M. Quantitation of residual D positive red cells in D negative recipients of D positive solid organ transplants. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec;31(6):488-93. Epub 2021 Sep 24.
• * Saeed S, Uzicanin S, Lewin A, et al; Surveillance Risk Assessment and Policy (SRAP) Sub-group of the Transfusion Transmitted Infectious Diseases Working Party of the International Society of Blood Transfusion. Current challenges of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 seroprevalence studies among blood donors: A scoping review. Vox Sang. 2021 Dec 3. Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• Shand S, Curtis K, Dinh M, Burns B. Prehospital blood transfusion in New South Wales, Australia: a retrospective cohort study. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2021 May-Jun;25(3):404-11. Epub 2020 Jun 10.
• Tamai Y, Ohto H, Takahashi H, Kitazawa J; Pediatric RBC alloimmunization consortium. Transfusion-related alloimmunization to red blood cell antigens in Japanese pediatric recipients. Transfus Med Rev. 2021 Jan;35(1):29-36. Epub 2020 Sep 10. | PubMed abstract
• Toivonen J, Koski Y, Turkulainen E, et al. Prediction and impact of personalized donation intervals. Vox Sang. 2021 Nov 26.Epub ahead of print. | PubMed abstract
• van Sambeeck JHJ, van der Schoot CE, van Dijk NM, et al. Extended red blood cell matching for all transfusion recipients is feasible. Transfus Med. 2021 Nov 29. Epub ahead of print.
• Weng J, Chen M, Fang D, et al. Therapeutic plasma exchange protects patients with sepsis-associated sisseminated intravascular coagulation by improving endothelial function. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2021 Jan-Dec;27:10760296211053313. | PubMed abstract