The determinants of donor safety and product quality in optimization of apheresis granulocyte harvest: An experience from a tertiary care oncology centre in India.

Allogeneic granulocyte transfusions play a substantial role in treatment of lifethreatening neutropenia-associated infections in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Granulocyte harvest by apheresis is considered a safe and effective method to obtain adequate therapeutic granulocyte dosage for clinical effectiveness. This study described the experiences associated with apheresis granulocyte harvest procedures in our tertiary care haemato-oncology centre.

Impact of the novel coronavirus disease and lockdown on the packed red blood cells inventory management: An experience from a tertiary care oncology center in Western India.

Introduction: The novel coronavirus disease has disrupted blood transfusion services worldwide. Despite blood transfusion services taking several precautionary measures to minimize the risks of COVID-19 during blood donations, donors became anxious regarding the risk of the COVID-19 infection during the donation and the blood transfusion services was facing the inevitable hazard of blood shortage.

Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary care oncology hospital-based blood transfusion services and included analysis of blood donations, packed red blood cell units requirements, and packed red blood cell inventory in the pre lockdown and lockdown phase.

Seroprevalence of human parvovirus B19 in healthy blood donors.

Background: Human parvovirus B19 is an emerging transfusion transmitted infection. Although parvovirus B19 infection is connected with severe complications in some recipients, donor screening is not yet mandatory. To reduce the risk of contamination, plasma-pool screening and exclusion of highly viraemic donations are recommended.