Efficacy and safety of high-dose intravenous iron as the first-choice therapy in outpatients with severe iron deficiency anemia.

Background: Asymptomatic severe iron deficiency anemia is a common finding in subjects admitted to the outpatient anemia clinic. Although the condition can be easily be reversed with intravenous iron (IVI) therapy and several guidelines have suggested a restrictive threshold for using transfusion in hemodynamically stable patients, transfusion is often the rule in clinical practice. This study describes clinical practice results of IVI therapy without transfusion.

Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose is effective and safe in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ferric carboxymaltose in rheumatic patients with iron deficiency anaemia.

Materials And Methods: The study retrospectively evaluated a cohort of 34 patients with iron deficiency anaemia affected by inflammatory rheumatic diseases that are refractory or intolerant to oral iron therapy. They were treated with ferric carboxymaltose for a total of 56 cycles of treatment.

Effect of a liberal versus a restrictive pre-donation blood pressure policy on whole-blood donor adverse reactions.

Background And Objectives: The role of pre-donation blood pressure (BP) as independent contributor to post-donation vasovagal reactions (VVRs) is still debated. Differences between a liberal (i.e.

Validity and reliability of serologic immunophenotyping of multiple blood group systems by ORTHO Sera with fully automated procedure.

The increase of immunization against blood group antigens has reinforced the need for automated extensive blood typing. The aim of this study was to assess both the validity and reliability of red blood cell (RBC) automated agglutination technology in testing for antigens of Kidd (Jk), Duffy (Fy), and MNS (Ss) blood systems. ORTHO Sera (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ) anti-Jka, anti-Jkb, Anti-Fya, anti-Fyb, anti-S, and anti-s reagents were each tested on RBC samples previously typed.

Ferric carboxymaltose reduces the number of red blood cell units transfused and allows transfusion independence to be obtained in patients with iron deficiency anemia secondary to gastrointestinal chronic blood loss.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) in patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) secondary to gastrointestinal chronic blood loss (CBL), who received chronic transfusion support.

Study Design And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 38 patients with IDA (hemoglobin [Hb] < 10 g/dL and ferritin < 12 ng/mL or transferrin saturation [TSAT] < 16%) refractory or intolerant to oral iron therapy that necessitated transfusion support in the previous 12 months. They were treated with FCM (500-2500 mg).

Prognostic value of PET/CT in patients with lymphoma treated with autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsed/refractory or high risk disease.

Background: Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT scan) has increasingly been used for management of lymphoma, however few and conflicting data have been provided in the setting of high dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) so far.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of 47 NHL patients who underwent ASCT for relapsed/refractory disease or high risk disease or partial response after first line treatment, with the aim of testing sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative prognostic value of PET/CT performed before and after ASCT.

Results: In our experience pre ASCT-PET/CT predicts outcome of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with chemosensitive relapse, whereas post ASCT-PET showed a better prognostic value for relapsed disease.

Single-donor platelet apheresis: observational comparison of the new Haemonetics Universal Platelet protocol with the previous Concentrated Single Donor Platelet protocol.

Background: The Haemonetics MCS(®)+ cell separator is a device dedicated to the collection of leucoreduced single-donor platelets. The new Universal Platelet protocol has been introduced to improve the efficiency of apheresis and increase flexibility in the collection of leucoreduced platelets in combination with red blood cells and plasma. In this study we compared its performance with that of the previous Concentrated Single Donor Platelet protocol.