Publications by authors named "Arwa Al-Riyami"
Red blood cell (RBC) antigen matching beyond ABO and RhD is commonly recommended for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassaemia. We present an updated systematic literature review to inform evidence-based guidelines on RBC matching. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to develop recommendations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: When Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) struck the world in December 2019, initiatives started to investigate the efficacy of convalescent plasma, a readily available source of passive antibodies, collected from recovered patients as a therapeutic option. This was based on historical observational data from previous virus outbreaks.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted on the efficacy and safety of convalescent plasma and hyperimmune immunoglobulins for COVID-19 treatment.
Artificial intelligence (AI) uses sophisticated algorithms to "learn" from large volumes of data. This could be used to optimise recruitment of blood donors through predictive modelling of future blood supply, based on previous donation and transfusion demand. We sought to assess utilisation of predictive modelling and AI blood establishments (BE) and conducted predictive modelling to illustrate its use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) are critical in managing haemorrhage, yet their utilization varies. There is lack of data on the utilization of MTPs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study aims to assess the degree of utilization of MTPs in the region.
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- * The white paper from JSRM and ISCT discusses obstacles related to regulatory differences, safety testing, and manufacturing costs in developing iPSC therapies.
- * It emphasizes the need for consistent global guidelines and advanced manufacturing processes to ensure the safety and affordability of iPSC-based treatments for broader adoption.
Although blood group variation was first described over a century ago, our understanding of the genetic variation affecting antigenic expression on the red blood cell surface in many populations is lacking. This deficit limits the ability to accurately type patients, especially as serological testing is not available for all described blood groups, and targeted genotyping panels may lack rare or population-specific variants. Here, we perform serological assays across 24 antigens and whole genome sequencing on 100 Omanis, a population underrepresented in genomic databases.
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- * A mixed-method approach was used, combining surveys and interviews from participants across 13 institutions, revealing various funding sources and diverse assessment methods for measuring learner outcomes.
- * Key facilitators include management support and compliance audits, while barriers involve challenges like time allocation for development, content updates, and access to performance data; there's a call for more research on the impact of these e-learning programs on actual transfusion practices.
Objectives: Routine blood donor screening of human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) has been practiced in Oman since 2017. Limited data exists on HTLV seroprevalence among Omanis. This study aims to determine the seroprevalence of HTLV-I/II among blood donors attending a hospital-based blood bank to assess the need for a universal versus targeted screening.
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- Nucleic acid-amplification testing (NAT) is a method used to check blood donations for harmful viruses to keep people safe.
- In 2019, a global survey showed that countries mostly followed government rules for testing blood for viruses like HIV and hepatitis.
- The results indicated a trend towards using individual samples for testing instead of larger pools to improve safety in blood donations.
Article Synopsis
- The project reviewed the global use of nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) in blood services to detect viral and parasite nucleic acids and reduce transfusion-related infections.
- A survey conducted among members of the International Society of Blood Transfusion revealed a significant increase in NAT adoption over the past decade, with data showing low but notable positivity rates for various viruses in blood donations.
- While NAT has enhanced blood transfusion safety worldwide, there is a call to address economic barriers that prevent some regions from implementing these important testing methods.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to improve the prediction of viable CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) for better engraftment in transplants, using a machine-learning model based on data collected on the day of apheresis.
- A retrospective review of 370 autologous HPC collections highlighted that 17% of products had a "poor" post-thaw index, with the XGBoost model showing the highest accuracy in predicting these losses.
- The findings indicated that considering post-thaw vCD34% improved engraftment times without necessitating extra collection days, suggesting a significant reduction in unnecessary procedures could be achieved with better predictive methods.
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a historic public health crisis with widespread social and economic ramifications. The pandemic has also affected the blood supply, resulting in unprecedented and sustained blood shortages.
Areas Covered: This review describes the challenges of maintaining a safe and sufficient blood supply in the wake of natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies, and pandemics.
Background And Objectives: Enabling universal access to safe blood components should be a key component of every country's national healthcare strategy. This study aimed to assess the current status of infrastructure and resources of blood transfusion services (BTS) in low- and middle-income countries.
Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional survey was designed to gather information on blood donations, components, redistribution, testing resources and quality management systems (QMSs).
Objectives: This survey aims to assess the scope of transfusion e-learning courses in blood establishments and transfusion services internationally.
Background: E-learning/online education is increasingly used in the education of medical professionals. There is limited published data on the use of e-learning for transfusion medicine.