Transfusion medicine

Canadian Blood Services supports best practices in transfusion medicine through the development of educational resources. Written by subject-matter experts from across Canada, our transfusion medicine resources support clinical practice and help health-care professionals stay current in an ever-changing field.

If you are a health-care professional working in transfusion medicine and have a comment or suggestions for new resources, please get in touch.

Aditi Khandelwal
Transfusion Medicine Specialist and Hematologist

Serological best practices

Platelet transfusions can help provide functional platelets to prevent or treat bleeding. This chapter describes the process of collecting, manufacturing and storing platelets for transfusion, summarizes clinical practice recommendations for platelet transfusions, and provides information on adverse reactions and platelet refractoriness.

An overview of donor wellness and perspectives

Donors are critical to the existence of the blood system. This new chapter in the Clinical Guide to Transfusion provides an overview of various aspects of donor wellness, including a review of current knowledge on donor motivation, donation-related health impacts, adverse reactions and management.

Platelet transfusion, alloimmunization and management of platelet refractoriness

Latest updates from the National Advisory Committee on Blood and Blood Products (as of February 9, 2026)

New

Updated

Upcoming events

View all events

Feb 18
6:00 pm | Virtual

Identifying and Defining a Quality Problem-QIPS: Part 2 of a 6 Part Webinar Series

Presented by Katrina L. Piggott MD, MSc, FRCPC Assistant Professor, Geriatric Medicine, The University of Toronto, Director, Quality Improvement Co-Learning Program, Department of Medicine, Lead, Choosing Wisely Geriatrics, Choosing Wisely Canada, Director, Quality Improvement & Patient Safety

Transfusion

Feb 19
9:00 am | Virtual

A Day in the Life of a Transfusion Medicine Medical Director

Registration Join us for an engaging, interactive half-day symposium designed specifically for community hospital Laboratory Physicians overseeing Transfusion Medicine. Highlights include: Live interactive learning and audience polls Insights into the daily practice of a Transfusion Medicine Medical

Transfusion

Feb 25
2:00 pm | Virtual

Changes to the 35th Edition of Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services (26EL-608)

Open discussion with case studies to be presented by AABB’s accreditation team. AABB standards and actual descriptions from assessment summary reports with documented nonconformances and objective evidence will be highlighted. The speakers will then expand the discussion on tools used to prevent

Transfusion

Recent R.E.D. blogs

View all R.E.D. blog posts

Tiny scientists, big discoveries: Celebrating the International Day of Women & Girls in Science at STEMapolooza!

February 11, 2026 is dedicated by UNESCO as a global day to celebrate women and girls in science and recognize a future where science and gender equality advance together. This year, the Telus World of Science Edmonton celebrated International Day of Women and Girls in Science with a family-friendly STEMapolooza event, and invited Canadian Blood Services' project leads Carly Olafson and Sanaz Hemmati to participate as guest experts at a booth representing our research network. The booth activities were planned in collaboration with Dawn O'Dwyer, an Edmonton-based Manager of Regional

Post date: February 17, 2026

Transfusion

Journeys in research: Trainee experiences supporting knowledge exchange, part 1 Nawal Elshamiy

The Monthly Science Seminar series described in the blog below is an example of one of the knowledge mobilization activities organized to support effective knowledge sharing, connection, and collaboration among members of Canadian Blood Services’ innovation and portfolio management (I&PM) internal research network. Each year, trainees in Canadian Blood Services’ research network are invited to volunteer as MSS Series Organizing Committee members. By emphasizing the importance of effective science communication and knowledge translation, this opportunity to engage in session planning is

Post date: February 12, 2026

Transfusion

Part 2: A legacy of leadership, celebrating 50 years of discovery with Dr. Donald R. Branch

In this second installment of our series celebrating career milestones in transfusion science, we turn the spotlight to Dr. Donald R. Branch, senior scientist at Canadian Blood Services and Professor at the University of Toronto. With over 200 published papers, numerous prestigious awards, and a research career spanning five decades, Dr. Branch has shaped the fields of transfusion medicine and transplantation through groundbreaking research, mentorship, and innovation. We invited him to reflect on his proudest achievements, the evolution of the field, and his advice for the next generation of

Post date: December 9, 2025

Transfusion

Transfusion medicine

Serological best practices

An overview of donor wellness and perspectives

Platelet transfusion, alloimmunization and management of platelet refractoriness

Identifying and Defining a Quality Problem-QIPS: Part 2 of a 6 Part Webinar Series

A Day in the Life of a Transfusion Medicine Medical Director

Changes to the 35th Edition of Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services (26EL-608)

Tiny scientists, big discoveries: Celebrating the International Day of Women &amp; Girls in Science at STEMapolooza!

Journeys in research: Trainee experiences supporting knowledge exchange, part 1 Nawal Elshamiy

Part 2: A legacy of leadership, celebrating 50 years of discovery with Dr. Donald R. Branch

Tiny scientists, big discoveries: Celebrating the International Day of Women & Girls in Science at STEMapolooza!