Use of low titer O whole blood in infants and young children undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Low titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) is commonly used for severe bleeding in trauma patients. LTOWB may also benefit young children requiring cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at risk of severe bleeding.

Study Design And Methods: In this retrospective study, children <2 years old who underwent cardiac surgery with CPB were included.

The global blood donation index: an imperfect measure of transfusion need.

The optimum number of units of blood and the associated number of blood donors required to meet a given population's needs remain undetermined globally. Typically, a whole blood donation rate of ten donations per 1000 population, at a minimum, is necessary to meet a country's blood needs. This rate is attributed to a WHO recommendation that 1% of a given country's population should donate blood to ensure a blood supply that is sufficient to meet clinical needs.

How do transfusion services manage patients taking therapies such as anti-CD38 and anti-CD47 known to interfere with red blood cell compatibility testing?

Background: Drugs such as daratumumab (Darzalex, anti-CD38) and Hu5F9-G4 (magrolimab, anti-CD47) may interfere with red blood cell compatibility testing as CD38 and CD47 are expressed on red blood cells.

Study Design And Methods: A survey of AABB member transfusion services was undertaken to understand their experiences of managing patients taking therapeutic monoclonal antibodies that are known to interfere with blood grouping and compatibility testing.

Results: The survey was distributed to the contact person at US-based AABB member transfusion services.

Acute pulmonary injury in hematology patients supported with pathogen-reduced and conventional platelet components.

Patients treated with antineoplastic therapy often develop thrombocytopenia requiring platelet transfusion, which has potential to exacerbate pulmonary injury. This study tested the hypothesis that amotosalen-UVA pathogen-reduced platelet components (PRPCs) do not potentiate pulmonary dysfunction compared with conventional platelet components (CPCs). A prospective, multicenter, open-label, sequential cohort study evaluated the incidence of treatment-emergent assisted mechanical ventilation initiated for pulmonary dysfunction (TEAMV-PD).

Results of clinical effectiveness of conventional versus Mirasol-treated Apheresis Platelets in Patients with Hypoproliferative Thrombocytopenia (MiPLATE) trial.

Background: The Mirasol® Pathogen Reduction Technology System was developed to reduce transfusion-transmitted diseases in platelet (PLT) products.

Study Design And Methods: MiPLATE trial was a prospective, multicenter, controlled, randomized, non-inferiority (NI) study of the clinical effectiveness of conventional versus Mirasol-treated Apheresis PLTs in participants with hypoproliferative thrombocytopenia. The novel primary endpoint was days of ≥Grade 2 bleeding with an NI margin of 1.

Guidance on the Use of Convalescent Plasma to Treat Immunocompromised Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) is a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 in immunocompromised (IC) patients. IC patients have a higher risk of persistent infection, severe disease, and death from COVID-19. Despite the continued clinical use of CCP to treat IC patients, the optimal dose, frequency/schedule, and duration of CCP treatment has yet to be determined, and related best practices guidelines are lacking.

Clinical Practice Guidelines From the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB): COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma.

Description: Coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma (CCP) has emerged as a potential treatment of COVID-19. However, meta-analysis data and recommendations are limited. The Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) developed clinical practice guidelines for the appropriate use of CCP.

Using the DiCoT framework for integrated multimodal analysis in mixed-reality training environments.

Simulation-based training (SBT) programs are commonly employed by organizations to train individuals and teams for effective workplace cognitive and psychomotor skills in a broad range of applications. Distributed cognition has become a popular cognitive framework for the design and evaluation of these SBT environments, with structured methodologies such as used for analysis. However, the analysis and evaluations generated by such distributed cognition frameworks require extensive domain-knowledge and manual coding and interpretation, and the analysis is primarily qualitative.

Vitamin K antagonist reversal strategies: Systematic review and network meta-analysis from the AABB.

Background: Anticoagulation requires urgent reversal in cases of life-threatening bleeding or invasive procedures.

Study Design And Methods: Network meta-analysis for comparing the safety and efficacy of warfarin reversal strategies including plasma and prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs).

Results: Seven studies including 594 subjects using reversal agents plasma, 3-factor-PCC (Uman Complex and Konyne), and 4-factor-PCC (Beriplex/KCentra, Octaplex, and Cofact) met inclusion criteria.

Neutralizing COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19: A Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: Convalescent plasma has been one of the most common treatments for COVID-19, but most clinical trial data to date have not supported its efficacy.

Research Question: Is rigorously selected COVID-19 convalescent plasma with neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies an efficacious treatment for adults hospitalized with COVID-19?

Study Design And Methods: This was a multicenter, blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial among adults hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection and acute respiratory symptoms for < 14 days. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned to receive one unit of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (n = 487) or placebo (n = 473).

Comparative risk of pulmonary adverse events with transfusion of pathogen reduced and conventional platelet components.

Background: Platelet transfusion carries risk of transfusion-transmitted infection (TTI). Pathogen reduction of platelet components (PRPC) is designed to reduce TTI. Pulmonary adverse events (AEs), including transfusion-related acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occur with platelet transfusion.

COVID-19 convalescent plasma.

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to a global health crisis, there were limited treatment options and no prophylactic therapies for those exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Convalescent plasma is quick to implement, potentially provides benefits, and has a good safety profile. The therapeutic potential of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) is likely mediated by antibodies through direct viral neutralization and Fc-dependent functions such as a phagocytosis, complement activation, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.

Hospital transfusion service operations during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Lessons learned from the AABB hospital survey in preparation for the next infectious disease outbreak.

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic disrupted hospital operations, affected the blood supply, and challenged the health care system to develop new therapeutic options, including convalescent plasma (CCP). The aim of this study is to describe and analyze blood supply fluctuations and the use of convalescent plasma in 2020.

Methods: AABB distributed a weekly and biweekly questionnaire through email to hospital-based members (HBM).