I had a neutropenic patient today.
Perfectly fine a month ago, a neutrophil count of 0.6 today. Diagnosis “on
letrozole”.
I looked that one up. A common side
effect is neutropenia. Here’s an article on the matter.
One lives and learns…
This is (supposed to be) a reflective diary by a (not very) anonymous biomedical scientist who works somewhere in the south of England. One day this diary may well be submitted to the Health and Care Professions Council as evidence of ongoing continual professional development....
23 July 2026 (Thursday) - HCPC Update
The HCPC sent their update today. You
can read it by
clicking here. There’s no denying it was on the dull side. However I see
they are asking
for applications for the role of head honcho.
I have absolutely no intention of applying…
and consequently I have no right to whinge that I think they are making a
fundamental mistake by getting all bogged down in management-speak rather than focusing
on what I feel should be their core business (i.e. acting in the best
interests of the professions they represent). On reflection I suppose that
they feel that they *are* acting in the best interests of the
professions they represent. But their way of doing it is different to mine.
Mind you for all that I can’t really
whinge when I have no intention of putting my money where my mouth is, I expect
I will still whinge.
I wonder who would take on the role of
head honcho? There’s plenty of people who love the entire “meetings thing”.
23 July 2026 (Thursday) - Pappenheimer Bodies
I saw some Pappenheimer bodies last
week, so I took photos, and have updated my little atlas with the piccies. To
see it click on this link and then
click on “Pappenheimer bodies” in the list on the left hand side.
I’ve used a new page format for this
entry… if only to make it look like the thing is a work in progress (which
it actually is!)
22 July 2026 (Wednesday) - Von WIllebrand's Disease
Here’s a rather good set of web pages
about Von
Willebrand’s disease courtesy of The Blood Project.
I never really understood what that was
all about when I was at college… I rather suspect that the one lecturing us on
the matter didn’t either. I’m a little clearer now.
21 July 2026 (Tuesday) - BTLP-TACT Exercise
Well… here we are at the three
thousandth and first entry to this blog. Despite having been read several
times, no one has replied to my suggestion about sharing CPD resources. Such a
shame.
In the meantime I shall carry on
undaunted. I had a go at the BTLP-TACT which presented me with one case – a ninety-seven
year-old chap needing group and save following ahead injury.
He grouped as A Rh(D) Negative with a
negative antibody screen.
I got it right.
Monday 20 July 2026 (Monday) - 3000 !!
Well… here we are at the three
thousandth entry to this blog. I started it as a record of what CPD activities
I do. Whilst is it in no way secret, I’ve never really tried to attract a
following, but through the wonders of modern science I can see that has quite a
following. In the last three weeks it has had over two hundred visits.
Why not leave a comment to say hello,
and to answer a question.
I’ve a plan that I might set up a little
CPD sharing on-line community… would you like to take part?
20 July 2026 (Monday) - Transfusion Evidence Library Update
Tranexamic acid again !!
The article about alloimmunization in
sickle cell patients was interesting. In the study a third of them had formed
antibodies. Clearly people on long-term transfusions should have blood matched
as closely as possible…
I’m reminded of a thread I saw on one of
the work-related Facebook pages which was talking about artificial oxygen
carriers. If ever there was a cohort of patients that could use them…
ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
Hospital policy of tranexamic acid to reduce transfusion in major noncardiac surgery. Houston, B.L., et al. (2026). The New England Journal of Medicine.
PICO SUMMARY
TOP ARTICLES
Global prevalence of alloimmunization in adults with sickle cell disease receiving red blood cell transfusions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Alsalman, M., et al. (2026). Journal of Clinical Medicine.
Effect of continuous non-invasive hemoglobin monitoring on blood transfusion and mortality in hip surgeries: a randomized controlled study.
Dinçer Yeşilnacar, M.E., et al. (2026). Journal of Clinical Practice and Research.
Oral or parenteral iron supplementation to reduce deferral, iron deficiency and/or anaemia in blood donors.
Geneen, L.J., et al. (2026). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Clinical trial: predicting response to iron therapy in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease using hepcidin and functional iron indices: a multicentre randomised trial.
Koppelman, L.J.M., et al. (2026). Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
Clinical efficacy of different blood purification modes on severe acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Li, P., et al. (2026). Frontiers in Medicine.
Effect of tranexamic acid for acute spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.
Menon, C.S., et al. (2026). Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. [Record in progress].
Artificial Intelligence-based predictive models for adverse blood donor reactions: a systematic review of immediate and delayed events and clinical data approaches.
ShojaeiBaghini, M., et al. (2026). BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. [Record in progress].
The effect of active warming and conventional body temperature management on perioperative blood loss and coagulation function in patients undergoing scoliosis correction: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.
Yan, W., et al. (2026). European Spine Journal. [Record in progress].
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