22 June 2018 (Friday) - How True...

Here’s something I read on the Facebook Hematology Interest Group; It struck me as incredibly wise, incredibly true, and explains why after thirty years of looking down a microscope I am still hesitant about the thing…

“"Don't complain if the cell doesn't look like in the atlas, you don't look like your profile photo either!!!!”

22 June 2018 (Friday) - Transfusion Evidence Alert Update

The nice people at “Transfusion Evidence Alert” sent their update today:

Article of the Month (June 2018) Behaviour modification interventions to optimise red blood cell transfusion practices: a systematic review and meta-analysis Soril L J J, Noseworthy T W, et al. BMJ Open 2018 Free Full Text

Selected new publications The effect of initiating intravenous oxytocin infusion before uterine incision on the blood loss during elective cesarean section: a randomized clinical trial Abdelaleem A A, Abbas A M, et al., The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine 2018 Use of platelet transfusions prior to lumbar punctures or epidural anaesthesia for the prevention of complications in people with thrombocytopenia Estcourt L J,  Malouf R, et al. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018 Free Full Text Interventions for improving adherence to iron chelation therapy in people with sickle cell disease or thalassaemia Fortin P M, Fisher S A, et al. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018 Free Full Text Hemostatic efficacy of pathogen-inactivated- versus untreated- platelets: a randomized controlled trial van der Meer P F, Ypma P F, et al. Blood 2018 Comparison of a therapeutic-only versus prophylactic platelet transfusion policy  for people with congenital or acquired bone marrow failure disorders Malouf R, Ashraf A, et al. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018 Free Full Text Administration of platelets to ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm patients before open surgery: a prospective, single-blinded, randomised study Lunen T B, Johansson P I, et al. Transfusion Medicine 2018 Avatrombopag before procedures reduces need for platelet transfusion in patients with chronic liver disease and thrombocytopenia Terrault N, Chen Y C, et all. Gastroenterology 2018. Tranexamic acid for hyperacute primary IntraCerebral Haemorrhage (TICH-2): an international randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 superiority trial Sprigg N, Flaherty K, et al. Lancet 2018. Measuring coagulation in burns: an evidence-based systematic review Marsden NJ, Van M, Dean S, et al. Scars, Burns & Healing 2018. Free Full Text

 

21 June 2018 (Thursday) - Pathology Outlines Update

The nice people at “pathology outlines” sent their update today. It would be nice if it was as a web page rather than all on an email, but I’m grateful for anything I can get.

There wasn’t *loads* of import in this email, but they have a blog and a Facebook page. I’ve subscribed to both, and am hoping for the best…

19 June 2018 (Tuesday) - Oncologist Update

The nice people at “The Oncologist” sent their update today. As always it isn’t of immediate direct impact to what I do, but it helps keep me up to date on what is going on in what is “behind the scenes” in my world.

I’m grateful for these updates…

19 June 2018 (Tuesday) - Case Study

The nice people at Lablogatory sent a case study today. It was about someone with malaria rolling up at a hospital. It was not earth-shattering, or ground-breaking. But it was a true-life description of something  that actually happened.

This is the sort of thing form which I learn…

19 June 2018 (Tuesday) - BTLP - TACT

I had my appraisal today. As well as building up experience with the new works automation and helping with cross-site harmonisation, I’m to be a guinea-pig for the BTLP-TACT wotsit.

I’ve heard great things about the BTLP-TACT – I’m looking forward to getting involved with it.

18 June 2018 (Monday) - The Lewis Blood Group System

Here’s an interesting little article form the nice people at Lablogatory about the Lewis blood group system and how it can be a nuisance during a pregnancy

16 June 2018 (Saturday) - On-Line Atlas

One of my (many) on-line projects is an unashamed attempt to create the ultimate and definitive on-line Atlas of Haematology; an atlas so immensely impressive that all others will pale into insignificance when compared with it…

Is that *such* an ambition?

About eight years ago I made a start on one, and rather forgot all about it. You can see it by clicking here. There’s no denying that it has still got a little way to go before being heralded as the ultimate and definitive on-line Atlas of Haematology, but it is a start…

This week we had two interesting cases in work; a new case of AML, and a hypochromic microcytic anaemia with basophilic stippling.

I’ve added those two cases onto this atlas.

Seriously though… is this atlas worth continuing?

On the one hand there are endless case studies on-line which are presented far better.

On the other hand these are cases that *I*  have personally experienced.

I’ll look to beefing the atlas up a little…

15 June 2018 (Friday) - Thyroid

The other day I subscribed to Pathology Outlines dot com. They sent their first missive today. It was an update on what’s new in thyroid medicine and disease.

Maybe not as directly relevant to my day to day practice as some stuff, but nonetheless it is interesting. I shall continue this subscription and hope for the best…

14 June 2018 (Thursday) - Updated Transfusion Guideleines

The Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee sent me an email. They’ve updated some of their guidelines:

https://www.transfusionguidelines.org/red-book/annex-3/a3-4-red-cells-rejuvenated-and-washed-leucocyte-depleted

https://www.transfusionguidelines.org/red-book/annex-3/a3-5-red-cells-and-plasma-leucocyte-depleted

This is another mailing llist to which I shall remain subscribed. This is “proper” CPD – directly relevant to what I do…

13 June 2018 (Wednesday) - Safety

Another mailing list of which I’ve remained a member is the one from the nice people at “Lablogatory”. Today’s missive was focussed on safety in the laboratory.

It is easy to be flippant, but when you think exactly what it is we do (we examine and investigate body fluids of seriously ill people), personal safety is something which *must* be paramount in our minds.

You can read the article they sent by clicking here. It was interesting… but just lately the nice people at Lablogatory seem to have taken a new direction and are becoming very “strange-school-of-management” focussed. “Gather a team of “Safety Avengers” “ ?  Seriously? 

13 June 2018 (Wednesday) - Transfusion News Update

The Transfusion News email arrived in my inbox this morning. Having unsubscribed from some rather irrelevant mailing lists earlier in the week, Transfusion News remains to be useful to me. Particularly the podcast from the Blood Bank Guy…

Transfusion Dependence for Leukemia Patients Shortens Hospice Stay

June 6, 2018 Approximately 25,000 individuals in the United States die annually from leukemia. These individuals often require transfusions; however, hematologic oncologists have differing beliefs about transfusions near the end of life, which may delay or hinder these patients from enrolling in hospice. In order to gain a better understanding, researchers examined data [Read More]

Typing Blood Group Variants from Whole-Genome Sequencing Data

May 30, 2018 Serological testing for ABO and RhD blood group compatibility has been standard practice for at least 60 years. ABO and RhD blood group antigen matching between blood donors and recipients decreases the risk of hemolytic transfusion reactions, alloimmunization, and other serious complications including death. However, more than 300 other RBC [Read More]

Product Choice and Compatibility Testing with Sue Johnson

June 12, 2018 | BBGuy Podcast Sue Johnson finishes the Pretransfusion Testing discussion with how to select products and test them for compatibility. She also tackles six cases showing “classic” issues in pretransfusion testing. [Listen Now]

11 June 2018 (Monday) - Reviewing Mailing Lists

A good way to do CPD is to have someone else put in the effort for you, and so periodically I scan the Internet looking for mailing lists to join.

I’ve joined the ones at http://www.pathologyoutlines.com  and the European School of Hematology – I’m hoping these will pay dividends.

However a little while ago I joined “Daily Biomedical Discovery” and “Bioanalysis Zone”– today I unsubscribed from them. Neither proved useful.

Being a naturally lazy person I’ve found out that being truly lazy takes a little effort. What’s the point of having endless emails to plough through if not every single one is worth having?

10 June 2018 (Sunday) - Richter Transformation

An interesting case appeared in the Hematology Interest Group Facebook page today. You can see it by clicking here. It is a case of Richter transformation.

Richter transformation – it rings a vague bell… CPD is invaluable sometimes for keeping me up to date. After all, that’s why we all do it…