26 November 2019 (Tuesday) - E-Learning

I did some-learning today. Dealing with acute transfusion reactions, and obtaining consent for transfusion. All refresher rather than anything new… but valuable nonetheless.

26 Nivember 2019 (Tuesday) - CPD Presentation

Over lunchtime we had a couple of CPD presentations.

The first was an overview of the history of blood transfusions, and the second was a resume of the use of transfusion in patients with major hemorrhage.

Both were interesting; both were valuable, and directly relevant to what I do.

Back in the day I used to organise one of these sorts of thing every week. I miss them... I wonder if there would be the enthusiasm for this nowadays. But then again, it is up to the official Training Officer to sort that out. Not my place to do this any more.

Do I miss it... I miss the talks. I *don't* miss the aggro that goes with chivvying up the volunteers (conscripts)

21 November 2019 (Thursday) - Transfusion News email

Revised criteria for platelet transfusions, another step towards artificial blood, and yet more praise for tranexamic acid… The Transfusion news email is rather good…

Tranexamic Acid Reduces Risk of Death in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

November 20, 2019 Globally, more than 60 million cases of traumatic brain injury occur annually, most of which are due to motor vehicle crashes and falls. Tranexamic acid (TXA), an antifibrinolytic drug which slows the breakdown of blood clots and prevents prolonged bleeding, has been shown to reduce bleeding and mortality in patients with [Read More]

Does That Patient REALLY Need Platelets? with Joe Sweeney

November 20, 2019 | BBGuy Podcast Platelet transfusion decisions must Involve more than just the platelet count! Joe Sweeney explains how we can all make better choices. [Listen Now]

Large-Scale Production of Red Blood Cells from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

November 13, 2019 Cost-effective, large-scale production of red blood cells (RBCs) would eliminate blood shortages and ensure antigen-compatible cells are available for alloimunized patients. RBCs have been cultured from cord blood cells, but the yield is low and cells produce [Read More]