Transfusion
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In 2011 and 2013, the National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey (NBCUS) revealed declines in blood collection and transfusion in the United States. The objective of this study was to describe blood services in 2015. ⋯ The 2015 NBCUS findings suggest that continued declines in demand for blood products resulted in fewer units collected and distributed Maintaining a blood inventory sufficient to meet routine and emergent demands will require further monitoring and understanding of these trends.
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Patient blood management (PBM) programs are associated with improved patient outcomes, reduced transfusions and costs. In 2008, the Western Australia Department of Health initiated a comprehensive health-system-wide PBM program. This study assesses program outcomes. ⋯ Implementation of a unique, jurisdiction-wide PBM program was associated with improved patient outcomes, reduced blood product utilization, and product-related cost savings.
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Transfusion-related immunomodulation (TRIM) encompasses immunosuppressive and proinflammatory effects induced by red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. Changes that occur during storage in the RBC product have been hypothesized to underlie TRIM, mediated by tolerance of toll-like receptors (TLR). We investigated whether transfusion of 35-day-stored autologous RBCs alters cytokine production in response to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lipotheic acid (LTA), in a clinically relevant model of endotoxemia. ⋯ In a clinically relevant model of human endotoxemia, autologous transfusion of 35-day-stored RBCs does not influence cytokine mRNA levels nor does it change the capacity of white blood cells in whole blood to produce cytokines after ex vivo stimulation with LPS or LTA.
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Anti-CD38 therapy causes interference with both the direct and the indirect antiglobulin tests. We describe the experience from an Immunohematology Reference Laboratory and model cost options for providing safe transfusions. ⋯ Genotyping provided a more accurate antigen status than phenotyping patient RBCs. Patients requiring long-term transfusion support benefit from antigen matching when matching less than four antigens. Ultimately, the decision to genotype or use thiol-treated RRC antibody investigations will vary for each hospital blood bank.
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Anti-CD38 is used to treat relapsed or treatment-refractory multiple myeloma. CD38 monoclonal antibodies, however, can interfere with routine blood bank serologic tests. Agglutination is observed at the indirect phase of testing as the drug binds to red blood cells (RBCs). ⋯ A number of devised methods to eliminate or bypass the effects of anti-CD38 on serologic tests are in use but no panacea exists. The limitations of each method require each testing site tailor an approach to best fit their needs. We present perspectives and testing practices from a hospital transfusion medicine service and an Immunohematology Reference Laboratory managing pretransfusion samples with anti-CD38.