Effect of incubation with crystalloid solutions or medications on packed red blood cells.

Background: American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) guidelines suggest that packed red blood cells (PRBCs) be administered through a dedicated intravenous (IV) catheter. Literature supporting this broad-scope declaration are scarce. Obtaining additional IV access is painful, costly, and an infectious risk.

Electronic remote blood issue supports efficient and timely supply of blood and cost reduction: evidence from five hospitals at different stages of implementation.

Background: This multicenter international study evaluated electronic remote blood issue (ERBI) for blood unit collection in hospitals.

Study Design And Methods: Retrospective data were collected from the ERBI software databases and blood bank information systems. Prospective "time-and-motion" data collection methods simulated the delivery of red blood cell units to determine the staff time for each step.

Wrong-Patient Blood Transfusion Error: Leveraging Technology to Overcome Human Error in Intraoperative Blood Component Administration.

Background: Confirmation of match between patient and blood product remains a manual process in most operating rooms (ORs), and documentation of dual-signature verification remains paper based in most medical institutions. A sentinel event at Johns Hopkins Hospital in which a seriously ill patient undergoing an emergent surgical procedure was transfused with a unit of incompatible red blood cells that had been intended for another patient in an adjacent OR led the hospital to conduct a quality improvement project to improve the safety of intraoperative blood component transfusions.

Methods: A multidisciplinary quality improvement project team led a four-phase implementation of bedside bar code transfusion verification (BBTV) for intraoperative blood product administration.

The epidemiology of bacterial culture-positive and septic transfusion reactions at a large tertiary academic center: 2009 to 2016.

Background: Bacterial contamination and associated septic transfusion reactions (STRs) remain the leading infectious risk to the blood supply. We sought to characterize the risk and clinical presentation of blood culture-positive transfusion reactions (BCPTRs) and STRs at our institution.

Study Design And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of all suspected transfusion reactions reported to the transfusion service at a 1000-bed tertiary academic medical center from January 2009 to September 2016.

Implementation of secondary bacterial culture testing of platelets to mitigate residual risk of septic transfusion reactions.

Background: Bacterial contamination of platelets remains a major transfusion-associated risk despite long-standing safety measures in the United States. We evaluated an approach using secondary bacterial culture (SBC) to contend with residual risk of bacterial contamination.

Study Design And Methods: Phased implementation of SBC was initiated in October 2016 for platelets (all apheresis collected) received at our institution from the blood donor center (Day 3 post collection).

Prenatal ABO/RHD Genotyping: A New Paradigm to Allow for Fresh Whole Blood for Cardiopulmonary Bypass in the Immediate Newborn Period.

Compared to standard component therapy, fresh whole blood (FWB) offers potential benefits to neonates undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in the context of open cardiac surgery: decreased blood loss and subsequent risk of volume overload, improved coagulation status, higher platelet counts during and following CPB, circumvention of limited vascular access, and significantly reduced donor exposures. Obtaining FWB, however, entails 2-5 days of preparation, which often precludes its availability for neonates requiring CPB in the immediate newborn period. Using a multidisciplinary approach and molecular ABO/RHD genotyping on amniotic fluid, we developed a protocol to allow procurement of FWB for timed delivery followed by open cardiac surgery.

Drone transportation of blood products.

Background: Small civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) are a novel way to transport small goods. To the best of our knowledge there are no studies examining the impact of drone transport on blood products, describing approaches to maintaining temperature control, or component physical characteristics during drone transport.

Study Design And Methods: Six leukoreduced red blood cell (RBC) and six apheresis platelet (PLT) units were split using sterile techniques.

The evolution of perioperative transfusion testing and blood ordering.

The evolution of modern anesthesia and surgical practices has been accompanied by enhanced supportive procedures in blood banking and transfusion medicine. There is increased focus on the preparation and the use of blood components including, but not limited to, preventing unnecessary type and screen/crossmatch orders, decreasing the time required to provide compatible red blood cells (RBCs), and reducing the waste of limited blood and personnel resources. The aim of this review is to help the anesthesiologist and surgical staff identify patients at highest risk for surgical bleeding.

High-risk HIV minorities in the United States: who gets tested and where?

Objectives: To assess characteristics of high-risk populations tested for HIV at particular testing sites.

Methods: BRFSS data (N=20,633) was used to quantify rates of HIV testing and identify specific racial/ethnic testing locations.

Results: Analysis determined associations existing among high-risk individuals based on demographics.

Physician treatment of osteoporosis in response to heel ultrasound bone mineral density reports.

Optimal information that should be included in ultrasound (US) heel bone mineral density (BMD) reports is not known. If additional information about further evaluation of patients with low heel BMD were included in reports, would responses for treatment improve? We screened people at health fairs using the Sahara heel US machine. For those with a T-score of View Article and Find Full Text PDF