[Transfusion safety. Introduction and identifying the problem].

The problems that exist in our country in the security of the transfusion chain affect every step in the recruitment, donor selection, and aseptic collection, screening tests, production of blood components, storage, transportation and transfusion to recipient. Some of which can lead to fatal cases or moving slowly because of the fragmentation of our health system.With the principles of ethics, we must move towards a unified national blood system overcoming the conflicts of interest that affect the impact on administrative certifications; decrease the irrational use of resources, optimize costs and achieve a transfusion medicine security system and haemovigilance of the at the hospital.

[Is syphilis test necessary in blood donors?].

Background: A syphilis test is performed in blood donors because the national transfusion law makes it mandatory, nevertheless the blood has not been found as an important vehicle of transmission for Treponema pallidum infection. Our objective was to know the prevalence of syphilis in blood donors.

Methods: we reviewed tests from blood donors of the "Banco Central de Sangre del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI" in two periods, the first from July 2001 to April 2003, and the second from March 2005 to June 2006.

Fc receptor blockade in patients with refractory chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura with anti-D IgG.

Background: This is an evaluation of the treatment of 63 patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (54 splenectomized and nine nonsplenectomized) with weekly doses of anti-D (IgG)-coated red blood cells (RBCs).

Methods: All patients were given one 5-15 microg/kg/dose of intravenous (i.v.

[Utility of desmopressin in 4 cases of thrombocytopathies associated with giant platelets].

Shear-induced aggregation requires the platelet glycoprotein complexes (Gp), the von Willebrand factor (vWf) and ADP. The Bernard Soulier syndrome (BS) and the gray platelet syndrome (GPS) are platelet function defects characterized by absence of GP Ib/IX and alpha granules, respectively, with mucocutaneous hemorrhages, prolonged bleeding time (BT) and moderate thrombocytopenia in both syndromes. There are reports that desmopressin (DDAVP) shortens the BT in some patients with platelet dysfunction.

Treatment of patients with hemophilia A and inhibitors to factor FVIII with cimetidine.

In this study, cimetidine was used to treat patients with hemophilia A and inhibitors to factor VIII who presented with acute hemorrhages (Group A) and those without hemorrhages (Group B). The dose of cimetidine was 15 mg/kg/day. Group A consisted of five patients with inhibitors between 156 and > 10,000 Bethesda Units (BU), all with serious hemorrhagic problems.

[Report of 2 cases with acquired von Willebrand disease and one with acquired hemophilia A].

We report three patients with acquired inhibitors against F VIII:C/F vW:Ag complex. Two patients had acquired hemophilia A. The three patients presented with bleeding diathesis.

[Gray-platelet syndrome associated with Marfan disease in a Mexican family].

Grey-platelet syndrome is a rare familial platelet impairment characterised by lack of alpha granules and giant vacuolated platelets. A Mexican family with grey-platelet syndrome associated to Marfan disease is presented. The family was comprised of 22 members, of whom 3 (the propositus and two of his nephews) could be studied.

[Hemophilic arthropathy. The therapeutic approaches in the clinical picture of hemophilia].

The ambulatory treatment of hemophilic arthropathy decreased the amount of replacement therapy with factor VIII from 3,220,000 U in 1984 to 2,217,700 U (32%) in 1988. Radioactive synovectomy diminished the number of hemarthroses in 97 per cent. Intraarticular dexamethasone reduced bleeding episodes and improved joint function in 48 per cent.