Rh disease in Mexico: evaluating regional and institutional differences in treatment availability and disease management.

Background: Rh disease occurs following maternal alloimmunization, which can develop due to RhD blood group antigen incompatibility between a mother and her fetus. Despite developing robust clinical protocols for effective immunoprophylaxis over the last 50+ years, a significant global burden of Rh disease still exists, particularly in low/middle-income countries such as Mexico.

Materials And Methods: This study examined disparities in the allocation of maternal and child health resources, as well as clinical knowledge regarding Rh disease, to gain insight into why Rh disease remains prevalent in Mexico.

Incorporating the entity of under-transfusion into hemovigilance monitoring: Documenting cases due to lack of inventory.

Background: Under-transfusion is an underreported entity within most hospitals and hemovigilance systems. While critical blood shortages are being reported more frequently, without incident codes to document instances of under-transfusion due to lack of inventory, estimating its impact on patient care as it relates to hemotherapy (HT) has hampered our ability to assess and inform strategic initiatives to combat inventory issues as well as prepare for future blood supply threats.

Study Design And Method: An 11-member working group of the AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies) Hemovigilance Committee was formed in October 2020 to study the topic of under-transfusion including its potential causes and clinical expressions.

A randomized double-blind controlled trial of convalescent plasma in adults with severe COVID-19.

BACKGROUNDAlthough convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), data from randomized controlled trials that support its efficacy are limited.METHODSWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial among adults hospitalized with severe and critical COVID-19 at 5 sites in New York City (USA) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive a single transfusion of either convalescent plasma or normal control plasma.

Correction to: Evaluating the efficacy and safety of human anti-SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma in severely ill adults with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn due to Rh(D) incompatibility: A preventable disease that still produces significant morbidity and mortality in children.

In the mid-20th century, Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn, caused by maternal alloimmunization to the Rh(D) blood group antigen expressed by fetal red blood cells (i.e., "Rh disease"), was a major cause of fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Correction to: Evaluating the efficacy and safety of human anti-SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma in severely ill adults with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of human anti-SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma in severely ill adults with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of human anti-SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma in hospitalized adults with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Trial Design: This is a prospective, single-center, phase 2, randomized, controlled trial that is blinded to participants and clinical outcome assessor.

Participants: Eligible participants include adults (≥ 18 years) with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by PCR test of nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab within 14 days of randomization, evidence of infiltrates on chest radiography, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) ≤ 94% on room air, and/or need for supplemental oxygen, non-invasive mechanical ventilation, or invasive mechanical ventilation, who are willing and able to provide written informed consent prior to performing study procedures or who have a legally authorized representative available to do so.

Center-related Bias in MELD Scores Within a Liver Transplant UNOS Region: A Call for Standardization.

Background: Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score-based liver transplant allocation was implemented as a fair and objective measure to prioritize patients based upon disease severity. Accuracy and reproducibility of MELD is an essential assumption to ensure fairness in organ access. We hypothesized that variability in laboratory methodology between centers could impact allocation scores for individuals on the transplant waiting list.

Safety incident reports associated with blood transfusions.

Background: Patient safety remains a critical issue in health care. Adverse events related to blood transfusion constitute a threat to patient safety. The aim of this study is to compare and contrast reporting trends of patient safety events that occur during the transfusion of blood components in pediatric and adult hospital care settings.

Provider trends in paediatric and adult transfusion reaction reporting.

Background And Objectives: Passive transfusion reaction reporting systems fail to capture a significant number of reactions, and no data exist on provider reporting trends. The aim of this study was to describe transfusion reaction reporting patterns by adult and paediatric providers.

Materials And Methods: This is a multihospital study on transfusion reaction reporting over a 7-year period.

The Impact of an Electronic Ordering System on Blood Bank Specimen Rejection Rates.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact that an electronic ordering system has on the rate of rejection of blood type and screen testing samples and the impact on the number of ABO blood-type discrepancies over a 4-year period.

Methods: An electronic ordering system was implemented in May 2011. Rejection rates along with reasons for rejection were tracked between January 2010 and December 2013.

G6PD Deficiency in an HIV Clinic Setting in the Dominican Republic.

Because human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients receive prophylaxis with oxidative drugs, those with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency may experience hemolysis. However, G6PD deficiency has not been studied in the Dominican Republic, where many individuals have African ancestry. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of G6PD deficiency in Dominican HIV-infected patients and to attempt to develop a cost-effective algorithm for identifying such individuals.

How we use WinRho in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease that affects children and adults. WinRho SDF is a D immune globulin product that is Food and Drug Administration approved for the treatment of ITP in D+ pediatric and adult patients. WinRho is a plasma-derived biologic product dispensed from blood banks.

Clinical characteristics of patients who test positive for Clostridium difficile by repeat PCR.

The high sensitivity of PCR assays for diagnosing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has greatly reduced the need for repeat testing after a negative result. Nevertheless, a small subset of patients do test positive within 7 days of a negative test. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of these patients to determine when repeat testing may be appropriate.

Analytical and clinical performance of the epoc blood analysis system: experience at a large tertiary academic medical center.

Objectives: To describe validation and performance of epoc, a blood gas analysis point-of-care system, in a live clinical setting.

Methods: Data were collected for 156 epoc systems over 12 months. Preimplementation precision and correlation studies and postimplementation quality assurance data were collected, including test card, reader, and personal data assistant (PDA) failure rates.

Determination of turnaround time in the clinical laboratory: "accessioning-to-result" time does not always accurately reflect laboratory performance.

Laboratories often focus on computer-generated components of turnaround time (TAT) reports that capture time from sample accessioning to reporting of results, and use this indicator to determine performance. This study assesses limitations of "accessioning-to-results" times and details ways in which to evaluate laboratory-controlled TAT. Samples were sent via pneumatic tube and times from arrival to accessioning were determined.

Granulocyte transfusion therapy in pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a 5-year single tertiary care center experience.

Background: Granulocyte transfusion (GTx) has been used in neutropenic patients to treat infections; however, there are few studies that document its efficacy, especially in pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We, therefore, reviewed the use of GTx in these patients.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective observational analysis was performed on all pediatric HSCT patients between January 2005 and January 2010 who met our institution's criteria for GTx and received more than 1 GTx.

Transfusion of human volunteers with older, stored red blood cells produces extravascular hemolysis and circulating non-transferrin-bound iron.

Transfusions of RBCs stored for longer durations are associated with adverse effects in hospitalized patients. We prospectively studied 14 healthy human volunteers who donated standard leuko-reduced, double RBC units. One unit was autologously transfused "fresh" (3-7 days of storage), and the other "older" unit was transfused after 40 to 42 days of storage.

Therapeutic plasma exchange for the treatment of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) encephalitis is thought to be one of the common paraneoplastic-associated encephalitides. Between February 2001 and February 2011, nine patients were diagnosed with this disorder at Columbia University Medical Center: eight females (mean age 23 years) and one male (3 years of age). Four female patients had ovarian teratomas, which were removed as part of their treatment.

Transfusion requirements in obstetric patients with placenta accreta.

Background: Providing transfusion support for patients with placenta accreta is a challenging task. There is no consensus on predelivery transfusion planning for these patients and the prevalence of massive transfusion is unknown. With little published experience, it is difficult to predict blood component usage accurately.

Quality monitoring of microbial contamination of cryopreserved parathyroid tissue.

Cryopreservation of parathyroid tissue (PT) provides patients undergoing parathyroidectomy with an option for delayed autologous heterotopic parathyroid transplantation. A standard protocol for quality monitoring of PT has not been established. This article describes a method for detecting the presence of bacterial contamination in PT tissue intended for autologous transplantation.