How do we obtain and maintain patient blood management certification?

Background: The creation of a patient blood management (PBM) certification program by The Joint Commission (TJC) and Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) provides validation of an existing PBM program.

Materials And Methods: A team of subject matter experts in PBM formed a working group to develop a structured approach to guide PBM programs through the PBM certification. Program challenges and metrics were reviewed.

Estimation of arterio-venous access blood flow in hemodialysis patients using video image processing technique.

Assessment of arterio-venous fistula (AVF) blood flow (ABF) is vital in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Currently, no non-invasive and contact-free technique is available to accurately measure ABF in routine clinical practice. In this study, we developed a novel approach using video image processing (VIP) to measure the change in optic flow in the skin.

Plasma sodium level is associated with bone loss severity in women with anorexia nervosa: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by restrictive eating, low body weight, and severe bone loss. Recent data show a deleterious relationship between low circulating sodium levels and bone mass, and relative or absolute hyponatremia is a known complication of anorexia nervosa. Clinical studies of other medical conditions associated with hyponatremia suggest that detrimental effects of low sodium levels on health are seen even within the normal range.