Alternative methods for calculating percentage haemolysis of red cell concentrates in peripheral blood banks in Sri Lanka.

Background: Haemolysis - one of the major limiting factors of red cell concentrate quality - must be measured as a quality-monitoring requirement. According to international quality standards, percentage haemolysis must be monitored in 1.0% of red cell concentrates produced monthly and maintained under 0.

Management of blood system in disasters.

Managing the blood system in disasters is one of the main challenges for any blood transfusion service exposed to natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods and tsunamis, biological threats such as pandemic influenza as well as manmade disruptions and terrorism. Sri Lanka had to face contrasting types of situations. The most unexpected and dreadful one was the 2004 December 26 tsunami catastrophe which cost >30,000 human lives, leaving more than 23,000 injured.