Transfusion
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The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was first described in February 2003. Close contact with symptomatic patients appears to be the main route of transmission, whereas blood transfusion transmission could not be ruled out. ⋯ A real-time CoV PCR test is able to detect SARS-CoV in viremic blood donor samples even in the beginning of the disease when patients present minor clinical symptoms. Thus the assay could potentially help to prevent transfusion-associated SARS-CoV transmissions.
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Hb content-based transfusion policy successfully reduces the number of RBC units transfused.
RBC transfusions should be based on Hb content of the products instead of units. As high as a 50-percent difference in Hb content can be encountered between two units. In this study, 500 mL of whole blood (WB)-generated RBCs according to their total Hb content was used to decrease the number of units ordered by using a new software called Hemosoft. ⋯ We clearly demonstrated that the number of RBC transfusions could be minimized by the rational use of the Hb content of the units. Although the total numbers of patients who shall benefit from this approach seems to be limited, it allows us to use high-Hb-content units rationally by using an in-house blood-banking software.