Musings on transfusion medicine

Stand by me (Musings on bullying by heath professionals)

2012-01-12T21:05:00.025-07:00

Last updated 24 Jan. 2012 Bullying has always occurred in the schoolyard and workplace. Lately much news has focused on bullying in schools and cyber-bullying that sometimes leads to suicides by young people. But I wonder if many people realize that lack of respect and bullying happen all the time between supposedly caring health professionals. Such bullying seldom leads to tragedies like

You're so vain: What we've got here is failure to communicate (Musings on the CBS-NB 'blood feud')

2011-12-11T19:40:00.018-07:00

See Update below. This month's blog features a 'blood feud' in New Brunswick (NB), Canada, following a 2009 decision by CBS to close its blood component production and distribution centre in Saint John, NB. Instead, blood collected in NB will be processed and distributed by a CBS plant in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a neighbouring province. NB has 3 options: Go it alone with an independent NB

Only in the UK & Down Under? Pity! (Musings on hemovigilance)

2011-11-09T19:59:00.031-07:00

The UK's Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) report for 2010 became available in the summer, and I thought a blog on its key findings was in order before 2011 ends. As I got into it, I realized that something was amiss. Such reports simply do not exist in my own country (Canada) nor the USA, with which we share the longest border in the world between any two countries. The blog's title

Where's the beef? (Musings on 2 transfusion-related iPad apps)

2011-10-08T18:59:00.012-06:00

Where's the beef? is a follow up to an earlier blog, Tough Titty and other iPad apps (Musing on 'revolutionary' apps for TM; Jan. 2011). The title derives from a TV advertisement initially shown in 1984. A second blog on iPads was inevitable when I finally caved and got one last month after much pondering of the question, "What does an iPad do and why would you want one?" My answer comes at the

With love from me to you - Blood buddies (Musings on staff shortages & succession planning in transfusion medicine)

2011-09-05T20:21:00.011-06:00

This blog was stimulated by the August 2011 issue of AABB News, which explores laboratory workforce shortages soon to be exacerbated as baby boomers* retire in large numbers. (*Boomers are generally anyone born between 1946 and 1965, meaning they will reach 65 between 2011 and 2030 and 60 between 2006 and 2025). I particularly enjoyed "Where have all the blood bankers gone?", the focus of this

If you could read my mind (Musings on 'acceptable risk' & who pays the price)

2011-08-03T01:44:00.016-06:00

This month, seeing as it's the 'dog days of summer', I'll muse on multiple related items about transfusion risks and economics that made me ponder days gone by. The blog's title comes from an old Gordon Lightfoot song. Everywhere you look these days, transfusion journals and newsletters are filled with discussions on cost-effective and how organizations need to find ways to reduce costs while

"Shine a light" (Musings on what we take for granted & shouldn't)

2011-06-26T19:42:00.002-06:00

This month's blog is a 'twofer.' Both parts arose from reading the May issues of AABB's Transfusion and AABB News. The blog's title derives from a Rolling Stones ditty of the same name. MUSING #1 - On detecting mom's antibodies in babes The first musing was stimulated by Shaikh S, Sloan SR. Clearance of maternal isohemagglutinins from infant circulation. Transfusion 2011 May;51:938-42. e-Pub:

Cultivate, convert, and cloak 'em - Sweet dreams? (Musings on chasing the 'holy grails' of blood transfusion)

2011-03-16T18:55:00.014-06:00

Recent research papers posted to TraQ stimulated this blog. It's a 'quick and dirty' look at current research into how to make blood, and by extension blood transfusion, safer. The title derives from the research processes involved and a favorite song of mine co-written by Annie Lennox and originally released by the Eurythmics in 1983. For years researchers have tried to find the 'holy grail' of

'Tough Titty' and other iPad apps (Musing on 'revolutionary' apps for TM)

2011-01-23T21:08:00.013-07:00

This month's blog discusses how the over-hyped iPad and similar tablets could be used to improve TM practices. The title includes a reference to the 1968 Beatles classic Revolution Two items motivated this blog 1. Clinical chemistry blog (Aargh! - the dreaded discipline with all the automated instruments) Recently, I came across this blog from the AACC: Explosive growth of send out testing: Can

Snip, snip, the party's over? (Musings on the seductive rise of DNA typing of blood groups)

2010-12-20T15:47:00.026-07:00

December's blog's title comes from A song by Willie Nelson: The party's over Single-nucleotide polymorphism or SNP (pronounced snip), the basis of most blood group DNA typing. Simply put, a SNP is a DNA sequence variation that occurs when a single nucleotide in the genome differs between members of a species or paired chromosomes in an individual. The use of seductive is tongue in cheek. Not

OneMatch, one love - Do you believe in love? (Musings on stem cell & organ donation)

2010-11-23T19:08:00.003-07:00

This blog is about the fast approaching so-called 'season of giving' and what we do give vs could give. The title comes from a mix of CBS's OneMatch program and songs by Bob Marley & Cher. The blog has multiple origins (resources featured in TraQ's monthly newsletter): News item on Quebec's plans for a living donor registry with a computerized consent system Published paper - Changes in the

'Get back' Jo Jo (Musings on cognitive dissonance)

2010-10-23T20:35:00.016-06:00

This blog is about competing blood safety standards and a current conflict that caused me to muse on cognitive dissonance. The title comes from a catchy 1969 Beatles song with silly lyrics. Cognitive dissonance (CD) is a fascinating thing. I've experienced it several times over the years, ie., the uncomfortable mental conflict that arises when holding incongruous beliefs simultaneously. An

Take this job and shove it (Musings on process efficiencies in the blood system)

2010-09-26T21:48:00.009-06:00

This blog was motivated by annual reports for Canada and Ireland's national blood suppliers included in TraQ's September newsletter: CBS 2009-2010 Annual Report IBTS 2009 Annual Report Both reports emphasize the need for ongoing cost efficiencies. As well, TraQ's August newsletter featured cost savings in the UK NHSBT due to reorganization that decreased the number of testing and processing

Goldfinger's filings, a customer's toolkit (Musings on business intelligence)

2010-08-26T19:05:00.020-06:00

This blog's thesis is only slightly tongue in cheek but its title definitively is. The title derives from the ubiquitous toolkits*, currently found everywhere in transfusion practice, and the 1964 James Bond movie, Goldfinger in which the eponymous character is obsessed with gold, much like private companies are focussed on profits, albeit not usually with the same gleeful fervour as a sinister

United we stand? (Musings on competition for blood donors)

2010-07-24T21:54:00.025-06:00

This blog examines a recent news item on the effects of a poor economy and increased competition for donors among blood suppliers in the USA and muses on economic basics, as applied to blood suppliers. The blog ends with a silly skit suggesting what competition for donors might look like in Canada, where Héma-Québec reigns supreme in La Belle Province and CBS has a monopoly in the Rest of Canada.

I will remember you (Musings on mentorship)

2010-06-20T20:49:00.018-06:00

In an article in the June 2010 issue Transfusion* Nancy Heddle wrote:"Appropriate training and mentorship will serve as the foundation for the next generations of clinical trial specialists."* Heddle NM. The randomized controlled trial: in celebration of Transfusion's 50th. Transfusion 2010 Jun;50(6):1173-8 (Published online Jan 15 2010)This got me thinking about mentorship in transfusion

Smile on your brother: Musings on labour woes in the blood system

2010-05-24T16:42:00.007-06:00

The idea for this month's blog came from the latest labour relations difficulties facing North America's blood suppliers. The title derives from the lyrics of a 1960s song recorded by many, Get Together.USA - American Red Cross [ARC]Staff cuts at ARC harm blood supply, coalition saysConnecticut: Red Cross workers: Phlebotomist firings due to contract tiff (includes comments from fired worker)

April, the cruelest month (Musings on transfusion costs)

2010-04-18T18:48:00.010-06:00

This month's blog is slightly different than most - a potpourri of loosely related tidbits on transfusion-related costs. It's April and money matters seem apt. The blog discusses 3 recent news items and ends with why April is the cruelest month. The blog's title comes from The Waste Land, a poem by T.S. Eliot.#1. Tidbits on Biotech ProfitsImmucor, a US-based company that sells instruments for

You can't always get what you want (Musings on HIV's discovery & how ads become news)

2010-03-20T21:03:00.034-06:00

This blog is about what we think we're getting compared to what we're actually getting, hence the blog's title, taken from an old Rolling Stones classic:You can't always get what you wantThe blogBriefly reviews HIV's discovery and how the initial HIV screening test was developed and by who - a intriguing tale if there ever was one Discusses how development of the anti-HIV test may have become the

We are the world - Musings on how we can lessen the global trade in body parts

2010-02-15T16:50:00.013-07:00

As Valentine's Day approached, I got to thinking about what it means to give of ourself to family, friends, and total strangers. A Canadian Blood Services press release about a new initiative, "Improving organ and tissue donation and transplantation (OTDT) in Canada," made me wonder what motivates some to give so generously, whether by donating blood or by donating tissues and organs. The

Checklists - Simply the best? (Musings on mistake proofing)

2010-01-10T18:03:00.026-07:00

This blog muses on using checklists for preventing mistakes in transfusion medicine (TM). The title comes from the inimitable Tina Turner's 1989 mega-hit, Simply the best.The blog was motivated by an interview on Charlie Rose with Dr. Atul Gawande (see short promotional clip) about his new book:The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. The book (hereafter called "The Checklist") is

Stand by Me - Musings on conflict between TM professionals

2009-12-13T18:16:00.033-07:00

This blog muses on conflict between health professionals in transfusion medicine (TM) and how to facilitate interdisciplinary teamwork. Given the holiday season, teamwork and ways to promote harmony seem fitting topics. For example, last year's December blog was titled "Let's get together and feel all right" after Bob Marley's classic, One Love. This month's title comes from a coming-of-age

We can work it out (Musings on public vs private health systems)

2009-11-15T20:26:00.019-07:00

This blog muses on how transfusion medicine (TM) in the USA compares to the rest of the developed world, particulary Canada, in terms of overall cost, efficiencies, and clinical outcomes. As a Canadian, monitoring the U.S. debate on health care is frustrating. Particularly annoying is hearing our system regularly trashed on U.S. cable shows, mostly be those who do not have a clue about Canadian

Don't ask, don't tell... Time to fold 'em or bad moon rising?

2009-10-10T18:46:00.036-06:00

It's not every day that a national blood supplier and blood donor are involved in a lawsuit involving blood, sex, duplicity, and a constitutional challenge. That's happening now in Ottawa and generating plenty of press coverage.In brief, CBS sued a gay blood donor, Kyle Freeman, who lied repeatedly on his blood donor screening questionnaire, and the donor subsequently sued CBS and Health Canada.

Ghostwriters in the sky and kickbacks: Through a glass darkly?

2009-09-09T14:32:00.010-06:00

This month's blog is a takeoff on a classic 1950's song, Riders in the Sky (aka Ghost Riders in the Sky), recorded by Vaughn Monroe and more than 50 others. (Note: I recommend that you right click on all links and choose Open in new tab.)The blog is a protest of sorts. Do you ever feel like protesting? Or are we all so cynical in the 21st century that we accept shady practice as standard practice

Musings on Peter and Dilbert Principles: Thinking outside our little boxes

2009-08-06T20:50:00.029-06:00

Last month featured a tongue-in-cheek characterization, sight unseen, of a new journal, the Journal of Blood Services Management or JBSM. This blog is a follow-up on JBSM, now that I have read the journal's first issue. As someone who creates transfusion-related case studies, including those in soft sciences* such as management and education (e.g, Case A8: Severe hemolytic transfusion reaction

"Transfusion lite" - Back in the USSR?

2009-07-11T18:22:00.026-06:00

This blog is a provacative sendup of a new journal affiliated with the AABB. In the July issue of Transfusion AABB announced a new journal, The Journal of Blood Services Management, in an editorial by Paul M. Ness and Philip D. Schiff: "The Journal of Blood Services Management, a new administrative focus for TRANSFUSION":The JBSM will include a broad spectrum of organization and management issues

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose (Where are the Hearts of Gold?)

2009-06-06T20:10:00.011-06:00

This blog is about how journal publishers are so concerned with the bottom line that they cannot see the forest for the trees. It's another riff on the cost of obituaries in scientific journals, i.e., musings on why publishers charge for celebrating the dead.In Jan. 2006 I wrote a blog titled, The cost of an obituary in Transfusion. Transfusion medicine giant, JJ van Loghem of the Netherlands,

Sweet dreams are made of this...

2009-05-09T19:29:00.026-06:00

This blog muses on how to access reliable information needed for professional practice. As the old Annie Lennox song goes, Sweet Dreams are made of this .... everybody's looking for something. <8-)After reviewing some of the more reliable resources, the blog will identify and recommend one resource that is freely available to all and offers high quality advice on an endless variety of issues by a

"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Of Company B" - Back to the future!

2009-04-09T15:23:00.041-06:00

Transfusion medicine colleagues - get ready for a sea change:It's back to the future (silly, but you get the idea)The tide has finally turned. All the griping heard over the years about ineffective and costly measures to protect the blood supply will soon bear fruition. Something will finally triumph over the impossible desire for zero risk and the associated measures that were implemented and

The last dance? Musings on the continued relevance of red cell serology to transfusion

2009-03-07T18:37:00.029-07:00

As someone who previously has bemoaned the relative lack of serologic articles relevant to routine immunohematology practice in the AABB journal Transfusion, I was delighted to see two such articles in the March 2009 issue, as well as an editorial featuring one of the papers. They are not strictly serology but discussing red cell antibodies is close enough for me. <8-)This blog discusses these

Rapa Nui meets Generation X, eh?

2009-02-10T21:04:00.022-07:00

By chance, I recently read a commentary in Transfusion Sayers M. The Rapa Nui caveat. Transfusion 2009 Feb; 49(2): 385-7.and a book Wright R. A short history of progress. Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2004.that both featured Easter Island (Rapa Nui in Polynesian).What struck me as ironic was that Sayers uses the example of Rapa Nui to argue against the precautionary principle, while Wright uses

Dr. Strangeblood or How I learned to start worrying and hate the numbers

2009-01-11T20:17:00.027-07:00

As we enter a new year, money and the economy are on the minds of many people. Certainly economics is an obsession in the developed world. Accordingly, I could not resist a money-themed blog. Like it or not, money, money, money makes the world go round.THE PAPERAs it happens there is a recent publication involving economics and transfusion medicine (TM):Custer B, Hoch JS. Cost-effectiveness

"Let's get together and feel all right"

2008-12-07T19:10:00.013-07:00

This blog entry features two Canadian websites that offer a wealth of useful resources and tools, the BC Provincial Blood Coordinating website, pbco.ca, which has just been redesigned, and learntransfusion.ca, a website for CBS transfusion medicine (TM) residents. SHARINGI'm a big supporter of sharing resources. As Bob Marley, the Jamaican reggae singer-song writer- musician said in his One

"I'm the decider" & the doctrine of preemptive strikes

2008-11-04T23:51:00.009-07:00

A timely post for November 4, 2008, presidential election day in the USA...Late night comedians have satirized George W. Bush for his "I'm the decider" statement, although what he said was true. And the U.S. President's most consequential decision appears to have been based on faulty information about weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in IraQ but it fits with his doctrine of preemptive

Responsibility - what's that?

2008-10-12T20:35:00.048-06:00

The October issue of Transfusion has many interesting papers.Two items caught my eye and got me to thinking how we view responsibility when colleagues fail to provide optimal care. We seldom get upset. Is it because we value calm, reasoned reactions over emotional responses? Because a quality system promotes a blame-free approach and focuses on systemic problems? Because we believe, "Let he who

I can't get no satisfaction

2008-08-18T18:15:00.006-06:00

The Rolling Stone's biggest hit from 1965 was "I can't get no satisfaction".Over 40 years later the song comes to mind when reading about pathology errors in Canada that have eroded public confidence. Although about Canada, the events and resulting news coverage should resonate in many countries.Chorneyko K, Butany J. Canada's pathology. (editorial) CMAJ 2008 Jun 3;178 1523The authors, one of

Mourning becomes Electra

2008-07-06T17:50:00.029-06:00

INTRODUCTIONThis blog's title is taken from the play by Eugene O'Neill of the same name, which is an adaptation of the Greek trilogy “Oresteia” by Aeschylus.The blog was motivated by a device that automates blood component preparation just licensed by the FDA in the USA. The device's press release is one of the Industry News items in this month's TraQ newsletter. It caught my eye because of the

What's it all about, Alfie?

2008-06-08T17:32:00.019-06:00

This month's blog is about how we spend our time in the context of transfusion medicine research. The title comes from the song What’s it all about Alfie? and the movie of the same name starring Michael Caine (and a later version with Jude Law). Perhaps you have pondered the meaning of this oldie-goldie from the 60s?It's a cliche to say that to get the right answers you must ask the right

Those were the days, my friends

2008-05-16T15:02:00.023-06:00

Something a bit lighter this month to celebrate springtime and fall, depending on your hemisphere....This feature in the May issue of Transfusion caught my eye:Transfusion Medicine History Illustrated, Ruth Sanger, a rare early photographThe photo shows Ruth Sanger (1918 - 2001), a giant of the transfusion medicine field, performing blood typing tests in the lab, circa 1946.The photo and

Educating Rita: How we exclude qualified workers

2008-04-02T19:14:00.037-06:00

INTRODUCTIONThis blog entry begins by juxtaposing a global blood supply with a global work force for purposes of comparison. It then focuses on my view of how roadblocks keep even the most qualified medical laboratory technologists out of Canada. Perhaps this situation exists in your country too?Canada actively recruits physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals. See Shoppers

Signs you live in the 21st century

2008-02-27T18:35:00.015-07:00

As usual, I alone am responsible for the ideas in this blog.Have you seen these lists about life in the 21st century? They usually begin with jokes such as, "You just tried to enter your password in the microwave. "This blog is not just about "Automating the transfusion service in the 21st century." It is also about "us and them."The triggering antecedent for the blog was a television program I

To consolidate or not to consolidate? Who shall inherit the wind?

2008-01-19T18:27:00.004-07:00

This blog entry's title is a take-off on He that troubles his own house shall inherit the wind...(Proverbs 11:29), i.e., if you create problems for your own community, even if inadvertently, it will come back to you in some way. The play Inherit the Wind, whose title comes from the biblical proverb, is about limiting an individual’s freedom to think. These themes run throughout this blog.By

Hell, no, I won't go? (musings on pandemic flu)

2007-12-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

In the 1960s, a famous antiwar mantra about Vietnam was, "Hell, no, I won't go!" This blog's title is a take-off on that phrase as related to who of us will show up for work during a flu pandemic.Having just participated in a provincial project to develop a contingency plan for blood shortages due to pandemics and other disasters, I got to wondering how many hospital transfusion services (TS)

Musings on the blood business

2007-11-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Several recent papers got me to focus once again on transfusion medicine as a business instead of as a branch of medicine. Some musings: 1. The first paper is an editorial in the 25 Sept. issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal featuring a systematic review in the same issue on the use of erythropoietin in critically ill patients. Hebert PC, Stanbrook M. Indication creep: physician

What's up doc? Welcome to docovigilance

2007-09-02T16:24:00.000-06:00

This blog results from my take on two articles on vigilance schemes to promote transfusion and transplant safety:1. AABB News article: Hemovigilance to biovigilance. An evolution of transfusion safetyHemovigilance can be defined as A set of surveillance procedures, from the collection of blood and its components, to the follow up of recipients to collect and assess information on unexpected or

Hawthorne effect in transfusion research - a thorny issue?

2007-08-06T16:52:00.000-06:00

I first came across the Hawthorne effect (HE) when taking a Masters of Education after teaching for 10 years. Teaching and then getting formal qualifications may seem bass-ackwards but that's how many health professionals do it. You get into teaching because you like it, then take another degree once you decide to make it a career.Recently, I was surprised to see reference to the HE appear in a

Sharing the heavy lifting at conferences

2007-07-03T19:24:00.000-06:00

This month's blog is meant to stimulate discussion. Today transfusion medicine (TM) associations are largely composed of medical laboratory technologists*, nurses, and physicians and not in equal numbers. In many TM associations, from most to least, it's often technologists -->physicians-->nurses, although the number of nurse members is growing. Other groups also belong to TM associations, e.g.,

Informed consent for transfusions - take this job and shove it?

2007-06-05T22:48:00.000-06:00

If you know someone who has had a transfusion recently, ask them if a physician or nurse explained the risks and benefits and, if during or after their hospital stay, they were notified in writing that they were transfused. Chances are, maybe not, even though both policies have been promoted as best practice for years now. In Canada more than a decade ago Justice Krever (Commission of Inquiry on

"STOP! Check the patient's wristband."

2007-05-07T22:29:00.000-06:00

There is an excellent paper involving six countries by the BEST Collaborative in the May 2007 issue of Transfusion:Murphy MF, Casbard AC, Ballard S, Shulman IA, Heddle N, Aubuchon JP, et al. on behalf of the BEST Research Collaborative. Prevention of bedside errors in transfusion medicine (PROBE-TM) study: a cluster-randomized, matched-paired clinical areas trial of a simple intervention to

Blood shortages to be passé?

2007-04-05T17:38:00.000-06:00

Hallelujah! Blood shortages may be passé!Such were the headlines this past week with a flurry of news items about bacterial enzymes that can cut antigen-bearing sugar molecules from the surface of red blood cells. The enzymes can render A and B rbc into group O rbc, producing so-called "universal donor" cells that can be transfused to recipients of any ABO group, providing the rbc are Rh-negative

Life as a blood eater

2007-03-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

I read with interest "A lifeline of Blood" by Dr. B. Patrick Moore to mark the 60th anniversary of the opening of the first provincial unit of Canada's national blood transfusion service (BTS) in Vancouver, BC on Feb. 3, 1947. "A lifeline of blood" motivated me to write this blog, an updated rendition of a posting I originally wrote for MEDLAB-L in1998 and which later appeared as a 2005 entry in

Whither immunohematology in AABB's Transfusion?

2007-02-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

As a longtime member of AABB, having joined in1975 to get the member rate for attending the annual meeting in Chicago, I have always made it a habit to read the association's journal Transfusion from cover to cover. Typically, the journal sits in the bathroom where it helps time pass when I'm otherwise engaged. Generally speaking, I find editorials and letters to the editor particularly useful in

Web 2.0, say what?

2007-01-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

Transfusion medicine has its own language, including acronyms such as AIHA, DAT, HDN, T&S, and TRALI. To the outsider, such language is gobbledegook and may sometimes be resented as being non-inclusive.I was reminded of this when reading How Web. 2.0 is changing medicine (BMJ 2006 Dec 23;333:1283-4) by Dean Giustini, a medical librarian from UBC, creator of the UBC Academic Search - Google

Blood clots, eh?

2006-11-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

ABO groups and thrombosis or Blood clots, eh? The title is a Canuck's mnemonic to recall that thrombosis occurs more in group A than group O individuals.When teaching, one of the tactics that I regularly used to increase student interest was to include sex or anything unusual into the discussion. One of the topics in the latter category was whether blood groups served biological functions.The

SmartBrief (new AABB resource)

2006-10-02T18:44:00.000-06:00

AABB has raised its membership fees for 2007 and plans to introduce "new and modified communications vehicles." One is AABB SmartBrief, a free daily news summary e-mailed to subscribers. There is a sample online and it appears to be available to both AABB members and non-members alike. Sign-up hereThe sample issue includes transfusion medicine (TM) news but is fairly broad-based, e.g., there is

Agent 006001 is promiscuous? (anti-K is so common!)

2006-08-28T16:02:00.000-06:00

The blog title is a take-off on James Bond, Agent 007.As a long-time blood bank instructor, I was fascinated by this paper by French authors in the August 2006 issue of Transfusion: Noizat-Pirenne F, Tournamille C, Bierling P, Roudot-Thoraval F, Le Pennec P-Y, Rouger P, Ansart-Pirenne H. Relative immunogenicity of Fya and K antigens in a Caucasian population, based on HLA class II restriction

Finding a colleague's e-mail address

2006-06-19T11:53:00.000-06:00

Finding a colleague's e-mail address is messy with much trial and error. Today many people want their address to be confidential due to the onslaught of spam. The best strategy is to find their phone number and then call to ask their e-mail address. <8-)Chances for success increase if they have participated in newsgroups or mailing listswork for a major organization, e.g., university, health

Canadian Blood Services statistics (collections and staffing)

2006-05-12T19:07:00.000-06:00

Below are some interesting statistics from a Canadian Blood Services' (CBS) presentation regarding provincial legislation that could impact CBS in an extreme emergency*. What initially surprised me was that Ontario, albeit our most populous province, donates about 50% of the blood in Canada. The key statistics:Annual whole blood collections: ~870,000 units Annual collections in Ontario: 50% of

AABB Board of Directors: non-Americans need not apply?

2006-03-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

The Jan.-Feb. 2005 issue of AABB News featured global initiatives and international membership. Being a Canadian who is interested in international transfusion medicine and loves foreign travel, I made a note to write a blog sometime on an aspect of international membership in the AABB. This blog focuses on the possibility of a non-American being elected to the AABB's Board of Directors. Sorry

Manslaughter case against UK lab worker collapses

2006-02-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

As a follow-up to my earlier blog (Manslaughter charged following wrong blood fatality in UK):The case against the biomedical scientist on trial in the UK for manslaughter has collapsed. The crown decided that, while negligence could have been proved for a civil case, the crime of manslaughter (gross negligence), was not provable in the case:Fatal blood mix-up case collapses Negligence

Manslaughter charged following wrong blood fatality in UK

2006-02-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

There have been only a few court cases involving medical laboratory technologists/scientists but there is currently one happening in the UK:Biomedical scientist on trial in the UK for gross negligence manslaughter The case involves a group O patient who was mistyped as AB, received group A red cells, and died from multi-organ failure, presumably secondary to a severe hemolytic transfuion reaction

Cost of an obituary in Transfusion

2006-01-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here's some food for thought: How much do you think it would cost to distribute a copy of a published obituary of a transfusion medicine pioneer in an e-mail or on a website? Curious? Then read on....A transfusion medicine giant, JJ (Joghem) van Loghem of the Netherlands, died in 2005 and his obituary was featured in Transfusion Nov. 2005; 45(11):1823. Upon reading the obituary, I wrote aTraQ

Dr. JJ van Loghem (In Memoriam)

2005-12-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Whether we know it or not, lifelong blood bankers have many names buried in our consciousness just from seeing them over and over again. For me, one such name was "van Loghem."JJ (Joghem) van Loghem died on August 3, 2005. Dr. van Loghem was the scientific director of the Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (CLB) from 1950–78 and was the president of several

Marcela Contreras receives first "International Woman in Transfusion" Award

2005-10-29T19:13:00.000-06:00

Marcela Contreras, Professor of Transfusion Medicine, Royal Free Hospital Medical School and National Director of Diagnostics Development and Research, NBS London, UK, has received the first-ever "International Woman in Transfusion Award." As I wrote in an earlier blog (13 Nov. 2004), in 2004 three of the major transfusion medicine organizations in the world were led by women, and to honour the

Br Med J illustrations available as PowerPoint slides

2005-09-26T12:36:00.000-06:00

The British Medical Journal has introduced several new features this week. The one I like best allows readers to turn illustrations from BMJ articles into PowerPoint slides. It works for illustrations such as graphs and figures but not for tables.After finding the desired illustration, select "View larger version" [in this window] or [in a new window], and then click on "PowerPoint Slide for

NCBI (PubMed) toolbar

2005-08-25T15:53:00.000-06:00

The NCBI (includes PubMed) has a toolbar (in beta testing) for use with either Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.If you use Google's toolbar, the NCBI toolbar is similar. Instead of choosing to search the web, news, images, etc., (as in Google), the NCBI toobar allows you to select from several databases (PubMed, gene, nucleotide, all). As in Google, you can also highlight your search

Automatic e-mail updates on PubMed

2005-08-25T15:44:00.000-06:00

PubMed now offers automatic e-mail updates in conjunction with saved searches, which are now called "My NCBI" (formerly"cubby"). NCBI is the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the US National Library of Medicine.The e-mail updates automatically notify you when new papers are published with your search criteria and can be scheduled for various periods (daily, weekly, monthly). It's a

Implementing new blood safety regulations in the UK

2005-08-10T17:58:00.000-06:00

In the UK the NHS Operational Impact Group (OIG) has released its final report on implications of the new regulations on transfusion services, including financial implications. It's fascinating and it's now on TraQ.For example, they have decided that some activities currently done by hospital transfusion labs might be classified as "processing" under the new regulations and therefore can only be

Usurpation of identity (more...)

2005-07-15T14:32:00.000-06:00

Here's another example sent by a colleague in BC, Canada (names are changed):We had a patient a few weeks ago who got into a fight while out with friends at a bar. He was brought into Emergency and crossmatched under“Fred Flintstone”. He did not have a historical record so no one was the wiser.His friends even called him “Fred”. Who was to know?Well,the police were notified and came to the

Dr. Jack Bowman (In Memoriam)

2005-06-05T18:23:00.000-06:00

Dr. Jack Bowman, Officer of the Order of Canada, a transfusion medicine pioneer, and one of the world's leading experts in treating and preventing hemolytic disease of the newborn, died on May 22:John Maxwell Bowman (May 24, 1925 - May 22, 2005)I was privileged to work with Dr. Bowman at the Canadian Red Cross BTS in Winnipeg from 1967 to1977, after I joined the organization as a child prodigy <8

Finding free full text articles in PubMed

2005-05-06T17:04:00.000-06:00

PubMed Central provides access to journals that provide free full text articles but did you know that a better way to get free full text articles is by using PubMed's "Search Field Descriptions and Tags"?Enter search terms as usual in PubMedand add (exactly as shown): AND Free Full Text [Filter]Try this search:transfusion AND platelets AND 2004:2005[dp] AND English[la] AND Free Full Text [Filter]

Usurpation of identity

2005-04-18T18:05:00.000-06:00

A recent letter to the editor in Transfusion caught my eye:Zimmermann R, J, Weisbach V, Eckstein R. ABO discrepancy by usurpation of identity Transfusion 2005 Mar; 45(3):454.Over the years I have seen 2 cases of usurpation of identity, both while working in the centralized transfusion service of the Canadian Red Cross (now Canadian Blood Services) in Winnipeg, Canada. For U.S. readers, Winnipeg's

"Who's who" in Transfusion Medicine- Mike Murphy

2005-03-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Thought it would be fun to do some blogs on "Who's who" in transfusion medicine, especially those involved in hot topics.A current hot topic is use of mistake-proofing tools such as electronic blood transfusion systems using bar codes or RFID. One of the recent TraQ case studies includes a section on mistake-proofing technology:See TraQ Case O-2 One of the experts actively involved in new

Access change at BMJ

2005-02-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

February 2005 marks a transition at the British Medical Journal (BMJ).Original research articles remain free but the full text of other articles (e.g., editorials and reviews) are free only for the first week after publication and then under access controls for the next 51 weeks, after which all content will once again be free. Since editorials and reviews are important sources of topic overviews

Tsunami victims & Rh negative rbc

2005-01-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Because I've always been interested in racial and ehtnic differences in blood groups, this news item from Thailand caught my eye:Rh negative blood needed in Thailand to treat western tsunami victims The frequency of the Rh(D) antigen in Caucasians in N.A and Europe is ~85% but has a frequency in parts of Asia approroaching 100%. It makes sense that western tourists requiring transfusion need

Ongoing controversy at South African National Blood Service

2004-12-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

The controversy in South Africa that began over a racial profiling policy that accepted blood from black donors then destroyed it is multi-faceted. See TraQ's international news section.After the policy was exposed, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) said that its risk management program was flawed because it relied heavily on race as a risk factor and that the risk model would be

Comprehensive review of Google Scholar

2004-12-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Must-read review of Google Scholar is found at Peter's Digital Reference Shelf -If you were thinking of using Scholar to find papers, this comprehensive critique tells all you need to know.What's New on TraQ

Limitations of Google Scholar

2004-12-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Limitations of Google Scholar (still in beta testing) are beginning to appear. For example:Google Scholar documentation (Search Engine Watch)Google Scholarly (Free Pint)Main messages are that documentation is lacking on what's in the database (not always "scholarly") and that students may bypass established databases containing peer reviewed papers. What's New on TraQ

Google Scholar

2004-11-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Google has launched Google Scholar, a new search engine for researchers aimed at increasing public access to academic material such as published papers, theses, technical reports, and books. I particularly like the "cited by" feature, which provides links to other papers that have cited the original (at least the ones in Scholar's database). This type of citation analysis is an innovative

2004-11-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

TraQ has been following the UK's response to the EU Blood Directive, which extends regulation of the blood system from blood suppliers to hospital blood banks. This is similar to the situation in Canada, in which CSA Z902-04 Standards will eventually become government regulations that impact hospital transfusion services.See CSA Standards Z902-04:Implications and IssuesThe UK Dept. of Health has

International Woman in Transfusion Award

2004-11-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

In 2004 three of the major transfusion medicine organizations in the world were led by women. To honour the occasion the organizations (AABB, BBTS, and ISBT) created the International Woman in Transfusion AwardIt's not surprising that a year would come when women headed several major TM organizations as women are incredibly active in transfusion medicine. I encourage everyone to consider

Transfusion medicine forums and mailing lists

2004-11-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

One of the things people tell me about the Internet is how difficult it is to keep up with all the resources that are available. This applies to a new resource just added to TraQ's Resource Library:Transfusion medicine forums & mailing listsOn the plus side, it's great to have multiple sources of information and places to ask questions. On the downside, searching in multiple places takes time and

Québec eliminates upper age limit for donors

2004-10-29T11:21:00.000-06:00

You know the population is aging when they want your blood until you drop! On 31 October 2004 Héma-Québec (the blood supplier in the Canadian province of Québec) will eliminate the upper age limit for donors.There are several safety criteria involving approval from the donor's physician but it seems that so long as "the bod is warm" and you are in good health, you can now be a life-long blood

vCJD found in frequent donor in France

2004-10-22T18:44:00.000-06:00

Now that vCJD has been found in a frequent blood donor in France, it will be interesting to see if French officials follow the lead of the UK who notified 1000s of donors in September that they may be at increased risk of carrying vCJD. The donor's blood was transfused to 10 recipients but was also used to make unspecified "medicines" - enough for several 1000 people.See TraQ's vCJD

Readers beware

2004-10-18T11:27:00.000-06:00

Two articles added today to TraQ's International News section present different "takes" on the same session held at a major transfusion medicine conference in Australia.The first article from The Age is titled Safety call on hospital blood use and begins, "Doctors yesterday called for identity wristbands for all blood transfusion patients to protect against the potentially fatal consequences of

CSTM standards

2004-10-16T13:04:00.000-06:00

Canadians comprise an outward looking country and tend to be international in scope. In practice this translates into looking at standards and guidelines from other countries when developing our own, e.g., AABB standards, ANZSBT and BCSH guidelinesAssuming that those in other countries may take a similar approach, I would like to recommend the new Standards of the Canadian Society for Transfusion

Canada's TSO mailing list

2004-10-15T13:35:00.000-06:00

Having just posted several messages to "transfusion" - a bilingual mailing list for Canada's Transfusion Safety Officers (TSOs) - reminds me to promote this valuable resource to those working in Canada's blood system (technologists, nurses, physicians, etc.) You do not have to be a TSO to join but you do have to work in Canada (translation costs preclude opening the list to worldwide subscribers)

TraQ has a blog!

2004-10-15T01:43:00.000-06:00

TraQ has a blog - a web log named On TraQ for transfusion medicine professionals about everything related to transfusion. A blog is an online journal using software that makes it easy to update throughout the day.The blog will allow me to expand on some of the resources posted on TraQ and will include recommendations and views that are solely my personal responsibility, not that of TraQ.Let me

Editorial with evidence-based approach

2004-10-15T01:02:00.000-06:00

Thought you should see the format of On TraQ from the get-go. The style will be informal and the content will reflect whatever's on my mind.If you are interested evidence-based medicine and want a transfusion-related example of how to approach analysing papers critically, this editorial is a keeper:Do transfusions get to the heart of the matter? Hébert PC, Fergusson DA. JAMA 2004;292:1610-2.The