Independent evaluation of tolerance of therapeutic plasma inactivated by amotosalen-HCl-UVA (Intercept ™) over a 5-year period of extensive delivery.

Amotosalen-HCl-UVA (AI) is a process to inactivate pathogens in therapeutic plasma (FFP). Tolerance is the main residual issue in FFP transfusion, and only large series observations are powered enough to identify significantly elevated levels of hazards. We report here on 15,133 new transfusions of AI-FFP, over the previously published 36,035, which in all represents one of the largest series observed by means of a highly standardized surveillance (51.

[The different types of therapeutic plasma are equivalent?].

In France, three varieties of therapeutic plasma are being processed, distributed and delivered, currently; however, many more varieties are in use worldwide, which go by the property of labile blood component or plasma derived medicines. For one type of component (one given name), several devices and bags and so on are used to concur to its process, which makes that one type of therapeutic plasma may significantly differ from one production setting to one other. This may affect (more or less) the component properties as well as the possibly reported adverse events.

A regional haemovigilance retrospective study of four types of therapeutic plasma in a ten-year survey period in France.

Background And Objectives: Our objective was to compare the frequency of adverse events (AEs) due to any of the 4 types of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) prepared and delivered by the French Blood Establishment (EFS) over a 10-year period. Surveillance of AEs and vigilance was performed according to a homogeneous policy. The four types of FFP comprised of one type (methylene blue [MB) that was stopped since then and of another type [amotosalen (AI)] that was recently introduced, along with two conventional products [quarantine (Q) and solvent-detergent (SD)].

[Pediatric transfusion practices: A single-center retrospective study].

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the professional practices in pediatric transfusion to assess the accuracy of transfusion guidelines in children.

Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of all the pediatric transfusions prescribed in the Clermont-Ferrand (France) university hospital center over 1 year and determined whether they conformed to the national guidelines.

Results: One thousand six hundred and seven blood products were delivered to 233 children (806 red cell units, 670 platelet units, and 131 plasma units), accounting for 5.

[Pathogen inactivation of platelets: organization consequences for platelet transfusion].

In the past few years, pathogen reduction technologies for labile blood products have been part of the enhancement of global transfusion safety regarding residual risks of transmitting infectious pathogens. Having carried out a feasibility study for the implementation of pathogen inactivation of platelet concentrates by means of the amotosalen/HCl/UVA (Intercept™) technology, and participated to a reinforced haemovigilance study, we took the opportunity to analyze the organization consequences for platelet concentrates inventory and distribution. This impact study first indicated that those novel needs forced the blood donation service, as well as the labile blood product preparation laboratory, to review and improve practices; secondly, it showed that the routine implementation has little (no major) consequence in the overall organization, independently of the economic consequences (not covered here).

Transfusion-related acute lung injury: reports to the French Hemovigilance Network 2007 through 2008.

Background: Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a major cause of transfusion-related mortality and morbidity. Epidemiologic studies using data from national transfusion schemes can help achieve a better understanding of TRALI incidence.

Study Design And Methods: A multidisciplinary working group analyzed TRALI cases extracted from the French Hemovigilance Network Database (2007-2008).

[Evaluation of continuous education in transfusion for professionals in medical blood banks].

Purpose Of The Study: Like every actor in transfusion, staff members practising within blood banks of healthcare establishments have to follow a specific initial training and must frequently update their knowledge in blood transfusion.

Methods: To address this need from these professionals, the Établissement français du sang Auvergne-Loire set up training sessions which content regularly evolved according to regulation recommendations. Every cycle consists in a total of 35hours of training, divided in five one-day modules.

[Post-transfusion pulmonary oedema: the French hemovigilance network classification method].

Pulmonary oedema after transfusion of blood products may be hydrostatic (transfusion-associated circulatory overload [taco]) or exsudative (transfusion-related acute lung injury [trali]). Both conditions have been recognized as major hazards to transfusion recipients. Risk characterization is necessary to improve safety and to monitor trends in the national blood transfusion system.

[Analysis of a severe septic transfusion reaction with standard platelet concentrate].

We recently observed a near fatal case of transfusion-transmitted infection with standard platelet concentrate. Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis was isolated both from donor, residual component container and cultures of the patient's blood. This should question the usefulness of systematic bacterial detection in platelet concentrates, however a lethal accident has occurred recently which escaped bacterial detection.

[Tranfusion counseling].

In this article, we present transfusion counseling; its organization, actors, their formations and we deal with factual positions. Transfusion counseling needs better identification, tending to a homogeneous organization between every bloodbank centre.

[Experience with the regionalization of transfusion advice].

We represent an organization of transfusionnel advice at a regional level and we develop arguments and stages having allowed us to lead to this choice. This target was reached in two stages, which took place over 3 years. The regional transfusionnel advice leans on three fundamental points: a planned permanent organization, skilled and formed actors as well as adapted tools.

Donor platelets stored for at least 3 days can elicit activation marker expression by the recipient's blood mononuclear cells: an in vitro study.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that infused platelets (PLTs) can promote inflammation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of storage of transfusion-grade PLTs on the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) of the recipient.

Study Design And Methods: An in vitro cell model system was established to measure the degree of activation of donor PLTs during 5 days of their storage and then to measure immune cell activation by detecting marker expression in coculture experiments.

An active haemovigilance programme characterizing the safety profile of 7437 platelet transfusions prepared with amotosalen photochemical treatment.

Background: An active haemovigilance programme was implemented to survey adverse events (AE) associated with transfusion of platelets photochemically treated with amotosalen and ultraviolet A (PCT-PLT). The results of 5106 transfusions have already been reported. Here we report the results of an additional 7437 PCT-PLT transfusions.

[Evaluation of continuous education in transfusion for professionals in hospitals and clinics].

Professional health workers need continuous update of knowledge in blood transfusion practice. To fulfill this expectation, the "Etablissement français du sang (E.F.

Release of potential immunomodulatory factors during platelet storage.

Background: Blood platelets (PLTs) link the processes of hemostasis and inflammation. Recent studies have demonstrated that PLTs promote immunity and inflammation mainly by means of the CD40/CD40L pathway. Our objective was to describe the accumulation of cytokines in PLT concentrates during storage.