Transfusion medicine

Recent Updates

Published:

Aug 8, 2019

Donor Selection, Donor Testing and Pathogen Reduction

Chapter 6

All blood transfused in Canada is collected from volunteer donors. To ensure the safety of the blood products, donors are carefully screened against an extended list of eligibility criteria. In addition, the donated blood is tested to identify the donor’s blood group and to detect blood group antibodies and transfusion-transmissible pathogens. Donor eligibility criteria and testing also benefit the donors by, for example, reducing potential blood donation-related health risks.

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Published:

Sep 10, 2019

Fractionated Blood Products and Associated Pathogen Safety

Chapter 7

Background

Originally all plasma fractionation products were derived from pooled human plasma. Increasingly, many plasma proteins are manufactured by biotechnology as recombinant proteins, without need for donated plasma; depending on the plasma protein product, either a recombinant or fractionated product, or both are available in Canada.

Modified on:

Oct 17, 2019

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Surveillance report

We are pleased to present the seventh annual report describing transmissible blood-borne infection surveillance. High quality and timely surveillance is central to the safety of the blood supply.

Upcoming Events

Topic Teaching: Infectious Disease Testing

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When

February 4, 2020 | 12:00PM to 1:00PM

Where

Toronto/Webinar

Details to follow.

Note: The session is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Journal Club

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When

February 11, 2020 | 12:00PM to 1:00PM

Where

Toronto/Webinar

Details to follow.

Note: The session is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Topic Teaching: Cold Whole Blood

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When

February 18, 2020 | 12:00PM to 1:00PM

Where

Toronto/Webinar

Details to follow.

Note: The session is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Blog

Modified on:

Jan 22, 2020

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Protecting patient safety: how tracking adverse events can help

Although it doesn’t happen often, sometimes patients will have a bad reaction during or after a blood transfusion. Surveillance systems set up to monitor the safety of the blood supply in Canada keep track of incidents like these so that issues potentially affecting patient safety can be identified. A recently published guide on reporting adverse transfusion events, available on Canadian Blood Services’ professional education website, helps make the reporting process easier to understand.

Modified on:

Jan 6, 2020

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Does sex matter in red blood cell transfusions?

When doctors select compatible red blood cell units for transfusion into a patient, they don’t consider the sex of the patient and whether the donor is the same (sex-matched) or opposite sex (sex-mismatched). But a study led by Dr. Michelle Zeller, Canadian Blood Services medical officer and assistant professor in the department of medicine at McMaster University, suggests that the role of donor sex in red blood cell compatibility may be worth a closer look.