TraQ Program of the BC PBCO

News items constitute an arbitrary selection of events. Links to some news items may no longer be active. News items are for the current year only. Canadian news is covered in What's New and Monthly newsletters.

Index: General | Specific countries (change over time)

GENERAL

• ISBT World Congress (June 2-6, Toronto Canada)
• Ngo A, Gandhi P, Miller WG. Frequency that laboratory tests influence medical decisions. 2017 Jan;1(4):410-14.
• Lance Armstrong settles $100M lawsuit with US.government sponsor (Postal Service) for $5M over blood doping (19 Apr. 2018)
• Gene therapy helps beta-thalassemia patients avoid blood transfusion (18 Apr. 2018)
  • Thompson AA, et al. Gene therapy in patients with transfusion-fependent ß-thalassemia. N Engl J Med 2018; 378:1479-93.
• Malaria parasites present in 23% of donor blood in some African countries, study suggests (16 Apr. 2018) | Related abstracts (Dakar II, Two Decades of Progress, Challenges and Perspectives in Ending Malaria, Apr. 15-20, Dakar, Senegal)
  • Fiamanya S. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the risk of transfusion transmitted malaria from blood donors in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Schindler T. Prevalence of malaria parasites at the Malabo Blood Bank on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
• How social media helps scientists get the message across (12 Apr. 2018)
  • Lamb CT, Gilbert SL, Ford AT. Tweet success? Scientific communication correlates with increased citations in Ecology and Conservation PeerJ (12 Apr. 2018) | About PeerJ
• Immunocompromised patients get hepatitis E through transfusions (13 Apr. 2018) | Abstract of small study presented at annual meeting of European Association for the Study of the Liver, Apr. 11-15, 2018
• Peedin AR, Katz Karp J. Pathology and professionalism in the age of social media. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2018 Apr; 142(4):441-2. (Free full text)
• Graber ML, Rusz D, Jones ML, Farm-Franks D, Jones B, Cyr Gluck J, et al. The new diagnostic team. Diagnosis (Berl). 2017 Nov 27;4(4):225-38. (Free full text)
• UK: Legal bar for convicting healthcare professionals of manslaughter is "too low" says medical defence organisation (13 Mar. 2018) | Background:
  • Record of Determinations –Medical Practitioners Tribunal (Feb 20-22, 2017; June 12-13, 2017)
  • To err is homicide in Britain – the case of Dr. Hadiza Bawa-Garba (30 Jan. 2018)
  • If Hadiza Bawa-Garba worked in the US she would still be a doctor (5 Mar. 2018)
  • Should Hadiza Bawa-Garba have been struck off as a doctor? I believe so (19 Feb. 2018)
• USA: Using a society gala to sell young-blood transfusions to baby boomers desperate to cheat death (2 Mar. 2018)
• Facebook launches features to facilitate blood donation in Asia
  • Pakistan (1 Mar. 2018) | Bangladesh (22 Jan. 2018) | India's success (Launched Oct. 2017) (18 Jan. 2018)
  • Interview with Hema Budaraju, product manager of Health at Facebook (Nov. 29, 2017;5:43 video - wait for the end)
• USA: Researchers point to cost of services, including medical labs, for increased healthcare spending between US and other developed countries (28 Feb. 2018)
• Study reveals that blood type influences hemolysis following IVIG therapy (5 Feb. 2018)
  • Branch DR, et al. ABO zygosity, but not secretor or Fc receptor status, is a significant risk factor for IVIG-associated hemolysis. (letter) Blood. 2018 Feb 15;131(7):830-5. Epub 2018 Jan 5.
• Singapore: When menstruation leads to a blood transfusion (17 Feb. 2018)
• USA (Just for Fun): Pub in Charlotte, NC sells more transfusion cocktails than beers (13 Feb. 2018)
• Canadian researchers discover unexpected role of platelets in immune response (1 Feb. 2018, Université Laval press release)
  • Cloutier N, et al. Platelets release pathogenic serotonin and return to circulation after immune complex-mediated sequestration. PNAS 2018;published ahead of print 31 Jan. 2018.
• From Kigali to Khartoum: Africa's drone revolution (30 Jan. 2018) | Much more than delivering blood
• Seed CR, Hewitt PE, Dodd RY, Houston F, Cervenakova L. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and blood transfusion safety. (review) Vox Sang. 2018 Jan 22. [Epub ahead of print]
• Whitaker K, Webb D, Linou N. Commercial influence in control of non-communicable diseases. (editorial) BMJ 2018; 360:k110 (Pub. 12 Jan. 2018)
• Another self-funded anti-aging trial in humans (Blog, 19 Jan. 2018) | Cost is $50K per person
• ‘A cruel harvest of the poor’: Israeli allegedly behind human organ black market arrested in Cyprus (8 Jan. 2018) | Interpol Wanted Poster
• The creepy source of the blood in the first blood bank (2 Jan. 2018)
• USA: Part 7: The Chop Shop (27 Dec. 2017) | Ongoing Reuters series on The Body Trade
  • Entire ongoing Reuters series: Cashing in on the donated dead: the body trade (27 Dec. 2017)
• EHR systems continue to cause burnout, physician dissatisfaction, and decreased face-to-face patient care (22 Dec. 2017)
  • Arndt BG, Beasley JW, Watkinson MD, Temte JL, Tuan WJ, Sinsky CA4, Gilchrist VJ. Tethered to the EHR: primary care physician workload assessment using EHR event log data and time-motion observations. Ann Fam Med. 2017 Sep;15(5):419-26. (Free full text)
• Goldman M,Shih AW-Y, O'Brien SF, Devine D. Donor deferral policies for men who have sex with men: past, present and future. Vox Sang 2017 Dec. 13 [Epub ahead of print]
• USA: MRIs in strip malls and shopping centers to help patients with cost and convenience (Dark Daily, 13 Dec. 2017)
• Korea, US, Japan cooperate to save elderly lady with rare -D-/-D- blood (29 Nov. 2017)
• Bitter CRISPR patent war intensifies (26 Oct. 2017)
  • Background: Should a U.S. university be allowed to privatize gene-editing CRISPR technology? (9 Dec. 2016)
• From medieval times till the present, transfusion techniques have changed with developing technology (16 Nov. 2017)
• Samuel Pepys offers a grim look at the history of blood transfusion (14 Nov. 2017)
• Rachul C, Rasko JEJ, Caulfield T. Implicit hype? Representations of platelet rich plasma in the news media. Wang JH-C, ed. PLoS ONE. 2017;12(8):e0182496. (Free full text)
• Human trial shows little promise for young people's blood as dementia treatment (2 Nov. 2017)
  • Blood from young people had a small but marked improvement in ability of Alzheimer’s patients to perform daily tasks (2 Nov. 2017)
• Big business of blood plasma. (Editorial) Lancet Haematol. 2017 Oct;4(10):E452
• Freitag CE, Arnold MA, Gardner JM, Arnold CA. If you are not on social media, here's what you're missing! Arch Pathol Lab Med 2017 Nov; 141(11):1567-76. (Free full text)
• USA: Building a more sustainable U.S. blood system. (Rand Corp, Research Briefs, Nov. 2016)
  • Mulcahy AW, et al. Toward a sustainable blood supply in the United States: an analysis. Rand Corp., 21 Nov. 2016.
• USA: Klein HG, Hrouda JC, Epstein JS. Crisis in the sustainability of the U.S. blood system. N Engl J Med 2017 Oct 12; 377:1485-8.
• Canada: Should family members have veto power over deceased organ donors? (25 Oct. 2017)
  • Anthony SJ, Toews M, Caulfield T, Wright L. Family veto in organ donation in Canada: framing within English-language newspaper articles. CMAJ OPEN 2017; 5(4): E768-72. (Free full text)
• How different religions see blood transfusion and organ donation (Nigeria's Pulse news media, 19 Oct. 2017) | Note related articles on the right
• Mortality risk greater for male transfusion recipients with previously pregnant donor (17 Oct. 2017)
  • Should transfusions be matched by sex? (17 Oct. 2017)
  • Caram-Deelder C, Aukje L. Kreuger AL, Evers D, et al. Association of blood transfusion from female donors with and without a history of pregnancy with mortality among male and female transfusion recipients. JAMA 2017;318(15):1471-8.
  • Cable RG; Edgren G. Blood transfusions from previously pregnant women and mortality. Interpreting the evidence (editorial). JAMA. 2017;318(15):1445-7.
• ECDC study: nearly one in six new HIV diagnoses in Europe are among people over 50 (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 27 Sept. 2017) | Unedited paper submitted to The Lancet
• Australia: Red blood cells for transfusion like a good red -- a little older, a little better (Monash University press release, 27 Sept. 2017)
  • Cooper DJ, et al. for the TRANSFUSE Investigators and the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group. Age of red cells for transfusion and outcomes in critically ill adults. N Engl J Med 2017 Sep17.
• Why Canada needs USA sperm [and plasma] (13 Sept. 2017) | More from Peter Jaworski, who co-authored, 'Markets Without Limits', the primary thesis of which is, "anything you may permissibly do for free, you may permissibly do for money."
• In memoriam: Dutch immunologist Johannes Joseph "Jon" van Rood died at 91 on 21 July 2017
  • Jon van Rood, a pioneer of transplantation. He just missed the Nobel Prize (In Dutch, right click to translate)
  • In 1978, van Rood was awarded the Wolf Prize in Medicine, jointly with George D. Snell and Jean Dausset, "for his contribution to the understanding of the complexity of the HLA system in man and its implications in transplantation and in disease".
• Indigenous people around the globe more likely to be infected by HBV and/or HCV than others (10 Aug. 2017)
• Zipline's ambitious medical drone delivery, including blood, in Africa (MIT Technology Review, 8 June 2017) | Now expanded to Tanzania
• End-of-life care poor for elderly patients with AML (23 Aug. 2017) | Hospices not offering transfusion a factor
  • Wang R, Zeidan AM, Halene S, Xu X, Davidoff AJ, Huntington SF, et al. Health care use by older adults with acute myeloid leukemia at the end of life. Clin Oncol. 2017 Aug 7:JCO2017727149. [Epub ahead of print]
• Sports hype of platelet-rich plasma 'powerful marketing tool' but distorts the science (15 Aug. 2017)
  • Rachul C, Rasko JEJ, Caulfield T. Implicit hype? Representations of platelet rich plasma in the news media. PLoS One. 2017 Aug 9;12(8):e0182496. (Free full text)
• To tackle the contaminated blood scandal, Britain must learn from Canada (1 Aug. 2017)
• WHO: World Hepatitis Day (28 July 2017)
• Celgene settles 'whistleblower' fraud allegations without admitting guilt (25 July 2017)
  • Celgene agrees to pay $280 million to resolve fraud allegations related to promoting drugs not approved by FDA (25 July 2017)
• Blood groups beyond A, B and O: what are they and do they matter? (26 July 2017) | Series in collaboration with Australian Red Cross
• 7 trends on how Big Pharma uses social media (21 July 2017)
• Big Pharma:
  • The pressure of big pharma (20 June 2017) | Globe and Mail analysis found financial conflicts of interest are commonplace in Canadian clinical practice guidelines.
  • Ignoring needs, following profits (15 June 2017, McGill International Review)
• Historical tidbit: 350 years ago, a doctor performed first human blood transfusion (15 June 2017)
• World Blood Donor Day (14 June 2017)
• Fun blood transfusion history quiz (12 June 2017)
• USA: Anti-aging start-up Ambrosia charges ~$8,000 for blood transfusions from people under 25 (1 June 2017)
  • Ambrosia claims young blood reverses aging, cuts risk of cancer and Alzheimer's (31 May 2017) | Based on study of 70 people, with no controls
• Historical 'goodies'
  • Eloise Giblett on transfusion pioneer Philip Levine (Biographical Memoirs) | So many notables, a gem of a read.
  • Sir Ronald Fisher (BMJ, Medicine and History)
    • Learn how Fisher would meet Rob Race and Ruth Sanger at a Cambridge pub to discuss emerging Rh results.
• Summary of Significant Changes and Proposed Standards for a Patient Blood Management Program, 2nd ed. (Draft open for comment 12 May -12 July 2017)
  • How to comment on AABB draft
• WannaCry Ransomware holds critical data hostage worldwide, including UK’s NHS (22 May 2017)
• Historical tidbit: Pool JG, Shannon AE. Production of high-potency concentrates of antihemophilic globulin in a closed-bag system. N Engl J Med. 1965 Dec 30;273(27):1443-7.
• Kramer K, Verweij MF, Zaaijer HL. Are there ethical differences between stopping and not starting blood safety measures? Vox Sang. 2017 May 2. [Epub ahead of print]
• Top journal editor: Medical journals publish fake science and are in Big Pharma's pocket (5 May 2017)
• Elderly rodents that received human umbilical cord blood improved significantly in memory tests (21 Apr. 2017)
  • Castellano JM, Mosher KI, Abbey RJ, McBride AA, James ML, Berdnik D,et al. Human umbilical cord plasma proteins revitalize hippocampal function in aged mice. Nature. 2017 Apr 19.[Epub ahead of print]
• Making artificial blood for transfusions (ACS press release 19 Apt. 2017)
  • Wang Q, Zhang R, Lu M, You G, Wang Y, Chen G, et al. Bioinspired polydopamine-coated hemoglobin as potential oxygen carrier with antioxidant properties. Biomacromolecules. 2017 Apr 10;18(4):1333-41. Epub 2017 Mar 28.
• USA: Blood banks mark 80^th anniversary of the first hospital blood bank (5 Apr. 2017)
  • AABB: Highlights of Transfusion Medicine History | Note: 1932 The first blood bank is established in a Leningrad hospital.
• European Commission publishes new guides on patient blood management (3 Apr. 2017)
  • EC: PBM Guidelines (4 Apr. 2017)
• Blunt truth about hype around stem cells and 'cutting edge' medical research (27 Mar. 2017) Meanwhile...
  • Stem cells shown to restore erection capability in men with erectile dysfunction(27 Mar. 2017)
• O my! Paper strip test determines blood type in just 30 seconds (15 Mar. 2017)
• O'Sullivan E, et al. Social media in health science education: an international survey. JMIR Med Educ. 2017 Jan 4;3(1):e1. (Free full text)
  • One fifth of students using social media reported they “almost always” shared clinical images without explicit permission.
• Old blood can be made young again and it might fight ageing (22 Mar. 2017)
  • Guidi N, et al. Osteopontin attenuates aging-associated phenotypes of hematopoietic stem cells. EMBO J. 2017 Mar 2. pii: e201694969. [E-pub ahead of print] (Free full text)
• UK: Red blood cell manufacture breakthrough (24 Mar.2017)
  • University of Bristol press release (24 Mar. 2017)
  • Trakarnsanga K, et al. An immortalized adult human erythroid line facilitates sustainable and scalable generation of functional red cells. Nature Commun. 2017 Mar 14;8:14750. (Free full text)
• Widely adopted blood transfusion practice in trauma may not benefit non-trauma patients (8 Mar. 2017)
  • Mesar T, Larentzakis A, Dzik W, Chang Y, Velmahos G, Yeh DD. Association between ratio of fresh frozen plasma to red blood cells during massive transfusion and survival among patients without traumatic injury. JAMA Surg. 2017 Mar 8. [Epub ahead of print] (Free full text)
• For fun: What are blood group and why do they matter? (6 Mar. 2017)
• Deep ties with industry may compromise the ability of advocacy groups to serve patients they represent (2 Mar. 2017)
  • McCoy MS, Carniol M, Chockley K, Urwin JW, Emanuel EJ, Schmidt H. Conflicts of interest for patient-advocacy organizations. N Engl J Med. 2017 Mar 2;376(9):880-5.
• Harm and medical ethics (3 Mar. 2017)
  • Thought experiment: Imagine spouse cheats on you but you don't know it. Have you been HARMED?
• USA: The blood substitute Ohio State researchers hope will save lives (28 Feb. 2017)
  • OSU researcher leads in global pursuit of blood substitute (13 Jan. 2017)
• Book review of 'Field Guide to Lies & Statistics' (The Economist, 4 Feb. 2017)
• USA: Five hyped health scams, including 'young blood' transfusions and genome sequencing (16 Feb. 2017)
• Munafò MR, et al. A manifesto for reproducible science. Nature Human Behaviour 1. (EPub 10 Jan. 2017) | Free full text
• How physicians can keep up with the knowledge explosion in medicine (19 Dec. 2016)
• TEDx talk (~17 mins): Saving lives in the shadows (22 Dec. 2016)
  • How medical laboratory professionals work tirelessly to provide information for informed diagnoses
• Big Pharma is coming for your Facebook and Twitter feeds (21 Dec. 2016)
• Blood & quips (9 Dec. 2016) | Article skewers naturopathic quackery in 'Eat Right For Your Type' and notes evidence-based associations between ABO and disease
• Key barriers to developing artificial RBCs overcome with nanotechnology-based ‘ErythroMer’ (5 Dec. 2016)
  • Artificial blood stored as powder could help paramedics save lives (6 Dec. 2016)
  • Pan D, et al. Erythromer (EM),a nanoscale bio-synthetic artificial red cell: proof of concept and in vivo efficacy results. Dec. 5, 2016 ASH meeting.
• When U.S. was warned that AIDS was killing kids (27 Nov. 2016)
  • In advance of World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) Toronto star excerpts 2 books beginning with David France's 'How to Survive a Plague'
• Dubai, UAE: Harvey J. Alter wins Grand Hamdan International Award for studies that identified non-A, non-B hepatitis, now hepatitis C in 1989. (Press release, 21 Nov. 2016)
  • CDC Grand Rounds: 25th anniversary of the discovery of hepatitis C (2014)
• Blood from old mice makes young mice decrepit (22 Nov. 2016) | Study raises caution about anti-aging benefits of transfusion from the young
  • Rebo J, et al. A single heterochronic blood exchange reveals rapid inhibition of multiple tissues by old blood. Nat Commun 7, 2016 (E-pub 22 Nov. 2016)
  • Background: Can we reverse the ageing process by putting young blood into older people? (4 Aug. 2015)
• For fun: Not even scientists can easily explain p-values (24 Nov. 2015)
  • Goodman S. A dirty dozen: 12 p-value misconceptions. Semin Hematol 2008; 45:135-40.
• Canada: Worobey M, Watts TD, McKay RA, Suchard MA, Granade T, Teuwen DE,et al. 1970s and ‘Patient 0’ HIV-1 genomes illuminate early HIV/AIDS history in North America. Nature 2016 26 Oct.
  • Canadian Richard A. McKay, Research Fellow in the Dept. of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge, did his MSC on PhD on Gaétan Dugas and is also writing a book on it.
  • CBC 'The Current' (Interview with author and 2 others): New research clears Gaétan Dugas as 'patient zero' in AIDS epidemic (1 Nov. 2016)
• Heddle NM, Cook RJ, Arnold DM, Liu Y, Barty R, Crowther MA, et al. Effect of short-term vs. long-term blood storage on mortality after transfusion. N Engl J Med (Epub 24 Oct. 2016) | Free full text
  • Tobian AAR, Ness PM. Red cells — aging gracefully in the blood bank. (editorial) N Engl J Med (Epub 24 Oct. 2016) | Free full text
• Carson JL, Guyatt G, Heddle NM, et al. Clinical Practice Guidelines from the AABB. Red Blood Cell Transfusion Thresholds and Storage. JAMA 2016 (EPub 12 Oct. 2016) | Full text article
• Murphy MF, Dumont LJ, Greinacher A; BEST Collaborative. Interference of new drugs with compatibility testing for blood transfusion. N Engl J Med 2016 Jul; 375:295-6. (Free full text)
  • Background: Chapuy CI, Nicholson RT, Aguad MD, Chapuy B, Laubach JP, Richardson PG, et al. Resolving the daratumumab interference with blood compatibility testing. Transfusion. 2015 Jun;55(6 Pt 2):1545-54.
  • Hannon JL, Clarke G. Transfusion management of patients receiving daratumumab therapy for advanced plasma cell myeloma.Transfusion. 2015 Nov;55(11):2770. | Authors conclude that DTT-treating panel cells may be effective but does not lend itself to a routine transfusion laboratory, whereas antigen typing is a simple procedure that allows for selection of antigen-matched units in patients with a panreactive antibody, including those caused by DARA.
• Using activity trackers to monitor transfusion-dependent patients (6 Oct. 2016)
• AABB issues new Association Bulletin on Zika, dengue and Chikungunya viruses following FDA’s August Guidance (Bulletin #16-07, 28 Sept. 2016)
• USA: FDA's drug reviewers keep leaving to work for big pharma and it's a problem (28 Sept. 2016)
• USA: Drs test drones to deliver lab specimens, blood products (13 Sept. 2015)
  • Experiment with RBCs, PLTs, FP by drones (Video features Dr. Paul Ness)
• Kenya: One of the most important yet neglected profession in health centers (13 Sept. 2016) | Great example of citizen journalism
• China and Australia emerge as most lucrative markets for platelet-rich plasma in Asia Pacific (31 Aug. 2016) | PRP used in cosmetic surgeries,orthopedic injuries,etc., with no clear evidence of benefit beyond placebo
  • Background: Does platelet-rich plasma injection work? (30 Sept. 2015)
• Farrugia A, Del Bò C. Some reflections on the Code of Ethics of the International Society of Blood Transfusion. (review) Blood Transfus. 2015 Oct;13(4):551-8. Epub 2015 Mar 30. (Free full text)
  • Background: Nuffield Council on Bioethics
  • Nuffield Council on Bioethics: Human bodies: donation for medicine and research (2011)
• Paypal co-founder Thiel believes transfusions from the young may hold key to his dream of living forever (1 Aug, 2016)
  • Ambrosia LLC (Clinical trial): Young donor plasma transfusion and age-related biomarkers (at ClinicalTrials.Gov)
  • Also see Lindeboom GA. The story of a blood transfusion to a Pope. J Hist Med Allied Sci. 1954 Oct;9(4):455-9.
• USA: Americans more worried than enthusiastic about gene-editing, brain chips, synthetic blood (29 July 2016)
  • Pew Research Center: Focus groups discuss biomedical developments that could boost brain and body performance (26 July 2016)
• Now possible to tell age range from crime scene blood (29 June 2016)
• AIDS 2016 reports huge boom in teen HIV cases in sub-Saharan Africa (21 July 2016)
  • AIDS 2016
• Novel biomarkers can help detect illegal blood doping in athletes (18 July 2016)
  • Salamin O, De Angelis S, Tissot JD, Saugy M, Leuenberger N. Autologous blood transfusion in sports: emerging biomarkers. Transfus Med Rev. 2016 Jul;30(3):109-15. Epub 2016 May 21.
• Social media
  • Medical researchers and Big Pharma searching Facebook, Twitter, and blogs creates new ethical and legal concerns (14 July 2016)
  • Novartis researchers analyzed social media of U.S. patients with MS for switching treatments and reasons why (7 June 2016)
  • Journal of Medical Internet Research
    • Top articles, most tweeted and Themes
    • Free issue: Download individual articles
• Ioannidis JPA. Why most clinical research is not useful. PLoS Med 2016 Jun 23;13(6): e1002049. (Free full text)
• Israel opens world’s first bird blood bank (11 July 2016)
  • Wonder if birds have blood groups or it's just robin-to-robin, etc?
• Canada: Researchers find association between donor age, female sex and transfusion outcomes (11 July 2016)
  • Chassé M, Tinmouth A, English SW, et al. Association of blood donor age and sex with recipient survival after red blood cell transfusion. JAMA Intern Med. Published online July 11, 2016. (Free full text)
• A Canadian kept blood flowing in WWI. An American got credit (9 July 2016)
• Edgren G,et al. Transmission of neurodegenerative disorders through blood transfusion: a cohort study. Ann Intern Med 2016. E-pub 28 June 2016.
• Cautionary tale of ‘stem cell tourism’ (22 June 2016)
  • Unregulated commercial stem-cell industry is not only potentially harmful but also undermines attempts to study stem-cell therapies in clinical trials.
• USA: Clinical labs using social media to recruit and retain top med techs, young pathologists (17 June 2016)
• Wrap-up to Jehovah's Witness ethics case (17 June 2016) (Original case in May's TraQ newsletter)
• WHO: World Blood Donor Day (14 June 2016)
  • Voluntary unpaid blood donations must increase rapidly to meet 2020 goal
• New finding offer hope to those with severe hemophilia A (25 May 2016)
  • DiMichele DM. Hemophilia therapy ­ navigating speed bumps on the innovation highway. N Engl J Med May 2016; 374(21):2087-9. (Free full text editorial)
  • Shima M, Hanabusa H, Taki M, Matsushita T, Sato T, Fukutake K, et al. Factor VIII-mimetic function of humanized bispecific antibody in hemophilia A. N Engl J Med. 2016 May 26;374(21):2044-53. (Free full text)
• USA: FDA recognizes v 2.0 Donor History Questionnaires in May 2016 Guidance (27 May 2016)
  • FDA Guidance for Industry: Implementation of Acceptable Full Length and Abbreviated Donor History Questionnaires and Accompanying Materials for Use in Screening Donors of Blood and Blood Components (May 2016)
  • DHQ, v 2.0 (43 questions)
  • aDHQ, v. 2.0 (27 questions)
• Too many drug clinical trials switch outcomes midway through (26 Mar. 2016)
  • COMPare: Tracking switched outcomes in clinical trials
• Canada (CSTM): New blog series recognizing Canadian transfusion medicine colleagues
  • Comments are most welcome regardless of where you work.
• For fun: Why do we have different ABO blood groups?
• Huge leap to mass produced platelets (8 Apr. 2016)
  • Moreau T, et al. Large-scale production of megakaryocytes from human pluripotent stem cells by chemically defined forward programming. Nat Commun. 2016 Apr 7;7:11208. (Free full text)
• Blood processing methods affect microparticles and mtDNA linked to transfusion reactions (CBS press release, 11 Apr. 2016) )
  • Research debunks previously held belief that storage of blood is responsible for cellular damage
  • Bakkour S, Acker JP, Chafets DM, Inglis HC, Norris PJ, Lee TH, Busch MP. Manufacturing method affects mitochondrial DNA release and extracellular vesicle composition in stored red blood cells. Vox Sang. 2016 Feb 25. [Epub ahead of print]
• WHO Zika App | Easy-to-use Zika Virus information
• Ortega R, Canelli RJ, Quillen K, Mustafa W, Kotova F. Transfusion of red cells. N Engl J Med 2016;374:e12.
  • 10 min. 'how to' video available to subscribers (also pdf of summary points)
  • If not a subscriber, ask transfusion service medical director, staff or students of college/university, or hospital librarian (they may subscribe)
• AABB - Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services (BBTS):
  • Summary of significant changes to Standards for BBTS, 29^th ed.
  • Response to comments received to proposed 30^th edition of BBTS Standards
• Product age, preparation method may influence mortality risk after blood transfusion (11 Mar. 2016)
  • Heddle NM, Arnold DM, Acker JP, Liu Y, Barty RL, Eikelboom JW, et al. Red blood cell processing methods and in-hospital mortality: a transfusion registry cohort study. The Lancet 2014 (Pub. online 4 Mar. 2016)
• Can we treat Ebola with plasma? The results are in. (8 Jan. 2016)
  • van Griensven J, et al., for the Ebola-Tx Consortium. Evaluation of convalescent plasma for Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea. N Engl J Med 2016 Jan 7; 374:33-42. (Full free text)

International

Afghanistan

• Wrong blood type record threatens ANA soldiers’ lives (23 Mar. 2018)
  • USA's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR): Review of the collection and procedures for screening the blood of Afghanistan national army personnel (15 Mar. 2018) | Interesting report

Australia / New Zealand (Down Under)

• Townsville home to Australia’s only dedicated Plasma Donor Centre (18 Mar. 2018)
• Red Cross Blood Service's campaign to reveal why the "number 42 is the answer to the great question of life..."
• Victims of a public health scandal say they want a UK-style judicial inquiry (14 Feb. 2018)
• Victims to launch new fight for justice on tainted blood scandal that left thousands infected with HCV and HIV in 1970s, 1980s,1990s (13 Feb. 2018)
• Productivity Commission’s report on government health services includes 7 transfusions with wrong blood group (31 Jan. 2018)
  • Ch. 12. Public Hospitals | Search (CTRL-F) for transfusion (or sentinel for all events)
• New national plasma agreement WITH CSL Behring Australia ensures supply for patients (11 Dec. 2017)
• Child with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome needs bone marrow transplant (28 Nov. 2017) | Many graphic photos
• Anemic baby koala infested with 100 ticks gets blood transfusion (20 Nov. 2017)
• Irish nurse Sinead Keane wins business prize (30 Oct. 2017)
  • Irish nurse a contender for Australian business prize (16 Oct. 2017)
• Leading the cheers for HIV awareness (6 Oct. 2017) | Woman gets HIV from plasma transfusion in 1984 and treated like leper. Now hopes to educate people about HIV and help lift the stigma surrounding the illness.
• Blood service calls for plasma donors to top up 'anti-D' supplies to save babies in utero (30 Sept. 2017)
• CSL Ltd: Bullying, sex toys and how CSL got rid of a complaining employee (6 Sept. 2017)
  • Australian Govt. Fair Work Commission: Decision on Andrew Saunders v CSL Ltd. (14 Aug. 2017)
• Fifty years, two million babies: Australia's role in a remarkable medical success story (8 Sept. 2017) Background:
  • 1980: Australian Dr. John Gorman and 4 others honoured with prestigious Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award for their work on the vaccine for preventing Rh incompatibility in newborns (Rh immune globulin)
• IVIG from USA donors who had the flu or got flu vaccine to be used to treat patients with influenza in small clinical trial (28 Aug. 2017)
• The donor who saved over 2 million children (25 Aug. 2017)
  • Donated plasma with potent anti-D ~3x/week for 60 yrs
• UK PM May has thrown Australian "tainted blood" victims the ultimate lifeline (13 July 2017)
  • Background in Aussie news item:UK health secretary who oversaw the “tainted blood” period, Andy Burham used his last speech as an MP to demand a public inquiry and warned if May failed to act he would hand police a dossier of evidence he claimed would expose “a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale”.
• Feature on 'BloodSafe eLearning' program (7 July 2017) | BloodSafe eLearning
• Researchers employ POC RNA testing to address growing rate of HCV infections (30 June 2017)
  • Article references Canadian research: Researchers at UBC's Center for Excellence developed next-generation sequencing-based HCV test to identify variants that confer resistance to drugs
• WA’s patient blood management program attracts worldwide attention (Govt. of Western Australia, 9 May 2017)
  • Patient blood management landmark study sets a new standard (Press release, 10 June 2017)
  • Leahy MF, Hofmann A, Towler S, Trentino KM, Burrows SA, Swain SG, et al. Improved outcomes and reduced costs associated with a health-system-wide patient blood management program: a retrospective observational study in four major adult tertiary-care hospitals. Transfusion. 2017 Jun;57(6):1347-58.
• How CSL Ltd makes most of its money (18 Apr. 2017)
• 6 year old first to get transfusion-associated HEV (17 Apr. 2017)
• Health Minister challenged on lack of action on transfusion-associated hepatitis C (10 Jan. 2017)
  • Interesting: News item does not mention Canada's hepatitis C compensation
• Consent to treatment, including blood transfusion (legal aspects) | Also see related articles on right
• Personal data of 550,000 Australian Red Cross blood donors leaked in country’s largest data breach (28 Oct. 2016)
  • Blog on data leak by man who runs data breach notification service and was tipped off (28 Oct. 2016)
  • Red Cross apologises after mass leak of Australian blood donor records (28 Oct. 2016)
• Australia (NBA): Guidelines and Governance released in 2016 (TraQ missed them earlier)
  • Guidelines for the management of haemophilia (20 July 2016)
  • Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Module 6 Neonatal and Paediatrics (29 April 2016)
  • National Immunoglobulin Governance Program (2nd. edition)
• NZ: Mother credits pioneering Kiwi doctor for her 'miracle baby' (11 Oct. 2016)
• How big pharma spent $650k on nurses in six months (25 Sept. 2016)
• Big Pharma splashes $millions on nurses (13 Sept. 2016)
  • Grundy Q, Fabbri A, Mintzes B, Swandari S, Bero L. The inclusion of nurses in pharmaceutical industry-sponsored events: Guess who Is also coming to dinner? JAMA Intern Med. 2016 Sep 12. [Epub ahead of print]
• Medicines Australia releases Big Pharma data: Did your doctor get a share of $8.5 million? (6 Sept. 2016)
  • Drug companies paid Australian doctors and nurses more than $64 million since April 2015 (1 Sept. 2016)
• 501st Legion, Rebel Legion & other Star Wars clubs donating blood in fun costumes worldwide (30 Aug. 2016)
• Sydney's Three Blue Ducks teamed with ARC's official cookie maker to create pudding to encourage patrons to give blood and support ARC (12 Aug. 2016) | Will set up blood donor station Aug 16-21.
• ARCBS taps cloud (Oracle CX) to power new donor relationship management system (21 July 2016)
• Governments around world took responsibility for "tainted blood" scandal - but not Australia (16 July 2016)
• In 2004 Senate inquiry recommended governments apologise to “tainted blood” hepatitis C victims, financial fund for victims and support for those affected. They're still waiting. (12 July 2016)
  • Background: Hepatitis C and the blood supply in Australia (14 June 2004)
  • Interesting on Canada's Krever Report (Ch. 4) - Terms of Reference: The implications for Australia of the
    • World's most extensive blood inquiry, Canada's Royal Commission (the Krever Report); and
    • Recent criminal charges against the Canadian Red Cross for not implementing surrogate testing for hepatitis C in the 1980s.
• National Immunohaematology Continuing Education (NICE) Proceedings 2015 (Presentations)
• Perth nurse awarded nation's highest nursing honour for developing a blood management program (14 May 2016)
• RFID tracks blood at Liverpool Hospital (23 Mar. 2016)
• Virus attacks hospital pathology/med lab computers running Windows XP (29 Feb. 2016)
• 'Review of Plasma Fractionation Arrangements' (2006)
  • Fascinating, transparent glimpse of 'paid plasma' business (Ch. 3)
  • See Ch. 4 for Canada
• Consent in hospital and firmly held religious beliefs (29 Jan. 2016)
  • Article examines legal issues in case of child who needed a liver transplant and whose parents are Jehovah's Witnesses

Bangladesh

• Why 10 million Bangladeshis have hepatitis B (28 July 2017) | Poor blood donor screening tests and vertical transmission from mother to child significant factors

Botswana

• Blood Transfusion nurses successfully sue government for overtime allowance (23 Feb. 2018) | Government claimed they were not 'practicing nurses'
• NBTS has never met WHO's blood donor target 2% of population and tries innovative initiatives (15 Jan. 2018)

Brazil

• Brazil starts screening transfusion blood for Zika virus (11 Feb. 2016)
• Rio's public hospitals run out of money, stop admitting (20 Jan. 2016)
  • Demand outstrips government's ability to fund because of decrease in oil revenue

Cayman Islands

• Women dies following surgery for removal of ovarian cyst (15 Nov. 2017) | Sepsis, DIC, multiple organ failure involved

China/Hong Kong

• Hong Kong: 15,000 fewer blood donors donated last year (18 Feb. 2018) Background:
  • 3 reasons Hong Kong’s blood donation rate is at a low (8 Feb. 2018)
• Number of cases of HIV infection via blood transfusion reduced to "nearly zero" (1 Dec. 2017)
• MSM lifetime ban changes on 25 Sept. to donation allowed if no MSM for one year (15 Sept. 2017)
  • Don’t donate blood if you’re gay – they don't deserve your help (Oped, 16 Sept. 2017)
• Blood agents jailed over cash for transfusions scam (3 Sept. 2017) | Underground trade targeted patients whose surgery delayed because of shortages in public blood banks. Background:
  • Illegal trade in donated blood on rise amid shortage of supplies from donors, says report (26 Apr. 2016)
  • Children of Chinese blood donors offered grades boost as incentive (24 Sept. 2014)
• Liver problems boost demand for US blood plasma (19 Aug. 2017) | China consumes half world’s supply of human serum albumin
• Hong Kong: 35-year-old stroke victim helps seven patients by donating all viable organs upon her death (24 July 2017)
• Hong Kong: HK tackles world’s first case of patient contracting Japanese encephalitis via blood transfusion (21 July 2017)
• Hong Kong: Report on blood transfusion incident identifying importance of verifying patient identification before transfusion (9 June 2017)
• Transfusion continues despite fire (Mar. 2017) | Love the way transfusionist slaps blood bag to make it run faster
• Boy infected with HIV after blood transfusion wins compensation battle (~$59K USD) but parents want more (3 Nov. 2016)
• Gay man passed on HIV to wife but she doesn't know (9 Aug. 2016)
  • Chinese CDC: HIV among gay men ~8 % in 2015
• Illegal blood selling industry (27 June 2016)
  • Fascinating ~20 min. audio from China Radio International. They end up debating paid vs voluntary donation
• DIY transfusion device goes viral (13 July 2016)
• Doctor holds blood bags in his arms to make them warm (3 Mar. 2016)

Czech Republic

• Liechtenstein's Diag Human again sues Czech Republic over blood plasma deal from the early 1990s (12 Feb. 2018) | Background:
  • Diag Human v. Czech Ministry of Health (Legal blog, 19 Aug. 2014)

Egypt

• Only 1% of Egyptians donate blood (24 July 2017)

Estonia

• Court finds nurse guilty of negligent homicide due to incorrect blood transfusion (7 Dec. 2017)

India

• Mystery cases of children testing HIV+ in Tamil Nadu rise (23 Apr. 2018) | Child abuse and transfusion among suspected causes
• Civil Hospital staff complain of overburden (24 Apr. 2018) | Shortages range from health professionals to custodial staff
• No negligence but lack of consent: Hospital told to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation (15 Apr. 2018) | Rs 5 lakh=~$7,661 USD
• High Court orders cancer centre to preserve blood samples and fluids from 9-year-old girl reportedly infected with HIV from transfusion (12 Apr. 2018) Background:
  • Spreading canards about girl: High Court warns of action (17 Dec. 2017)
  • Girl found HIV positive after transfusion: Government orders probe (15 Sept. 2017)
• NCDRC issues notice to Hyderabad hospital and blood bank in consumer complaint seeking Rs. 6 crore in damages for HIV-infected platelet transfusion (24 Mar. 2018) | 6 crore= ~$920K USD
• Meet the 88-year-old who in her early 30s became the prime mover of the voluntary blood donation movement in her region (24 Jan. 2018)
• Haemovigilance programme faces roadblocks as blood banks reluctant to enroll (24 Jan. 2018)
• Last year in Chandigarh only 6% of blood donors were women (18 Jan. 2018) | Main reason is chronic anemia among women
• Undiagnosed hookworm could lead to huge blood loss (9 Jan. 2018)
  • Hookworm FAQs (USA CDC)
• Government to screen those who had surgery or transfusions before 2002 for HCV (7 Jan. 2018) | Number ranges from 6 to 12 million people [One lakh=100,000; one crore=10,000,000]
• Government employees to get paid leave for blood donation and apheresis (2 Jan. 2018)
• Licences for Gurgaon Fortis pharmacy, blood bank suspended after inspections (31 Dec. 2017)
• Despite shortage, India discards 1 million blood units per year (28 Dec. 2017)
• Spreading canards about girl: High Court warns of action (17 Dec. 2017) Background:
  • Girl found HIV positive after transfusion: Government orders probe (15 Sept. 2017)
• Blood banks across Mumbai asked to put their stock availability status online via an app (8 Dec. 2017)
• Research Institute found guilty of “grave negligence, lapse, and unethical and unlawful act” related to dengue death and overcharging for platelets (7 Dec. 2017)
• Experts slam SPCA for using Mumbai strays as blood donors for pet dogs (6 Dec. 2017)
• Blood transfusion pouches get costlier post-GST (2 Dec. 2017)
• State belatedly closes rogue blood bank after complaint months earlier by law student (30 Nov. 2017)
• Police hospital doctor suspended for negligence leading to death of patient in 2015. (5 Nov. 2017)
• WHO team to inspect blood banks in Kerala (28 Sept. 2017)
• Patient dies from from DIC and multi-organ failure after nursing orderly transfuses platelets without doctor’s order patient consent (23 Sept. 2017) | Hard to discern what happened
• Kerala State AIDS Control Society initiated inspection of 172 blood banks but experts say they're meaningless (20 Sept. 2017)
• Kerala AIDS Society grants 'clean chit' ro Regional Cancer Centre (19 Sept. 2017)
  • Call to make NAT mandatory for reducing risks in blood transfusion (18 Sept. 2017)
  • Kerala: 9 year-old tests HIV+ after transfusion (16 Sept. 2017) | Blood donation during window period suspected as donors not screened by NAT in Kerala
• Nurses, medical attendants need to learn safe use of blood (16 Sept. 2017) | Examples cited of blood warmed in sunlight and unlabelled blood sent from blood bank
• Reports are false that 8 patients died due to alleged transfusion of expired blood (12 Sept. 2017)
  • 8 Die in Bihar Hospital after transfused with 'expired blood' (8 Sept. 2017)
• 1% of Chief Minister's Health Insurance Scheme funds sought to help blood banks with voluntary donations (24 Aug. 2017)
• Tracing donors infected with HBV and HCV major obstacle (8 Aug. 2017)
• Patients’ kin say private hospitals in Mumbai force them to replace blood against norms (31 July 2017)
• Chhatisgarh State to introduce blood transfusion motor bikes to deliver blood to hospitals (28 July 2017)
• Case closed on criminal culpability of blood bank for 32 children with thalassemia allegedly contracting HIV from transfusion in 2011 (19 July 2017)
• Mumbai: Anti-corruption bureau initiate inquiry against 34 private blood banks for allegedly flouting minimal staffing norms (19 July 2017)
• First blood bank for cattle opens (28 June 2017)
• Doctor, lab manager, lab technician arrested for selling adulterated (diluted) blood (26 June 2017)
• Blood system depends heavily on replacement blood donors | Unsafe practice that exploits patients and families (15 June 2017)
• Kashmir: Donated blood not safe because of ELISA screening for HBV, HCV, HIV (13 June 2017) | Note: Regions of Kashmir are administered by India, Pakistan, China
• In violation of safe transfusion laws, private hospital allegedly risked life of blood donor and recipient by drawing blood and transfusing it without any testing (7 June 2017)
• Probe into HCV+ transfusions in thalassemia patients finds no fault in Jalandhar hospital blood bank (11 May 2017)
  • 35 thalassemia patients infected with HCV via transfusion (9 May 2017)
• Regulatory agencies to do joint inspections to fix gaps at blood banks over inadequate staff and equipment (6 May 2017)
• Why some stored blood is always discarded (27 Apr. 2017)
  • The irony of blood wastage and blood shortage (26 Apr. 2017)
• Donating blood or declaring your sex life? (9 Jan. 2017)
• HIV via transfusion is a menance (8 Jan. 2017)
  • UK's SHOT vs India's hemovigilance, where reports of transfusion transmission are based on statements when counselling HIV+ people
• Human Rights Commission calls for probe into transfusion resulting in death (16 Dec. 2016) | So far lab technician & nurse fired
• Inside India's black market (5 Dec. 2016)
  • Background: Why is blood transfusion in India not yet safe? (3 June 2016)
• ‘Window Period’ main reason for catching HIV/AIDS virus in 10% of patients (4 Dec. 2016)
• Did Mumbai blood banks supply HIV-infected blood – or are people misreporting cause of transmission? (21 Oct. 2016)
• Probe begins into transfusion of HIV-infected blood to 4-year-old thalassemia patient (30 Aug. 2016)
• Why blood banks will continue overcharging patients despite government capping the price (30 Aug. 2016) | Some charged for NAT testing that wasn't done
• Six years on, doctors acquitted of transfusing group A woman with group B blood, whose full-term fetus subsequently died (19 Aug. 2016)
  • Two patients with same last name
• Should hospitals give patients unbanked blood to save their lives? (5 Aug. 2016)
  • Unbanked transfusion is illegal but is it ethical in rural hospitals short of blood?
• Wide range of issues plague India's blood supply (21 July 2016)
• Doctor suspended, two others sacked for alleged transfusion of HIV+ and HCV+ blood (18 June 2016)
  • Lab tech and data entry clerk fired
• Police seize more than 21,000 units of FFP stored in cooling van and arrest 3 including 2 lab technicians. (13 June 2016)
  • Planned to sell plasma to Reliance Life Sciences
• Mumbai collecting ‘Bombay blood group’ to save Bangladeshi patient (10 June 2016)
• Why is transfusion not yet safe? (3 June 2016)
  • Transfusion-associated HIV cases self-reported, not proven cases. TA-HIV more socially acceptable.
• 2,234 infected with HIV via transfusion in past 17 months (31 May 2016)
  • But.... NACO says HIV data based on self-reporting (1 June 2016)
• Parents claim three-and-a-half year-old son acquired HIV from blood transfusion (11 May 2016)
• Clot factor availability, cost affect haemophilia treatment (18 Apr. 2016)
  • State government withdrew Factor 8 from Essential Drugs List
  • 20,000 - 30,000 Indian rupees = $385 - $576 CDN
• Two hospitals and a private blood bank investigated after two thalassemic children infected with HIV following transfusion (1 Feb. 2016)

Iran

• Iran tops blood donation rate in Eastern Mediterranean and if 100% voluntary (14 Feb. 2017)
• With sanctions lifted, the Blood Transfusion Organization plans to export blood plasma to Switzerland to produce derivatives such as IVIG (27 Jan. 2016)

Ireland

• IBTS should focus on risky sexual behaviour instead of sexual orientation, writes health researcher (10 Feb. 2018)
  • Background: Record numbers diagnosed with HIV (11 May 2017)
• Interview with Dr Stephen Field, IBTS Medical and Scientific Director,about his experiences in Africa and Europe (25 Jan. 2018) (Fascinating)
• UK hospitals 'aggressively recruiting' Irish nurses (16 Jan. 2018)
  • Related: Ireland's nursing crisis could lessen if US nurses could register more easily (3 Sept. 2017)
• Court rules Minister cannot appeal Hepatitis C tribunal finding (12 Dec. 2017)
• We talk to a father and daughter about a family tradition of donating blood (Sponsored by IBTS)
  • The IBTS and Wax Museum Plus teamed up with a fun #WheresDrac blood campaign
• Hepatitis C still stigmatising, says support group (11 Oct. 2017)
• IBTS Assistant Director of Nursing takes case to High Court to prevent sacking (12 Sept. 2017) | IBTS says she engaged in gross insubordination by refusing to apologise to staff
• IBTS working on solution for how to deal with transgender donors (4 Sept. 2017)
  • 'Because a donor’s gender will have an impact on how donated blood is used for patients, changing that gender may have safety implication for recipients.'
• IBTS Medical Director abruptly ends phone call after asked about why transfusion-related hepatitis B case occurring in Jan. 2017 not made public sooner (31 Aug. 2017)
  • Patient contracts hepatitis B from transfusion (30 Aug. 2017) | Donor tested in window period. IBTS calls it a rare, 1-in-2 million event
• Man who almost died after refusing blood transfusion hits out at 'harmful' Jehovah’s Witness teachings (25 May 2017)
• Lifetime blood donor ban on MSM sex lifted, replaced with 1 year deferral (16 Jan. 2017)
• ISBT begins global initiative with blood donor organisations in 21 countries to highlight ~30% world-wide drop in first-time blood donors compared to a decade ago (16 Aug. 2016) | Fascinating statistics
• Gay man drops challenge to blood donation ban after change in policy announced (26 July 2016)
• IBTS Board looks set to recommend lifting lifetime ban on MSM (17 Apr. 2016)
• Dangers of falling victim to ‘girl who faints’ syndrome (22 Feb. 2016)
  • Article on transfusion-associated hepatitis C group purported mis-spending
• Transfusion Positive criticised for ‘extravagant’ spending (17 Feb. 2016)
  • €4k spent on alcohol by 'Hep C' group (18 Feb. 2016)
• Anaemia fears as 90,000 blood donors contacted by IBTS (30 Jan. 2016)
  • Background: IBTS suspends blood donation for women who donated blood in last 18 months (16 Nov. 2015)

Israel

• Pilot program will allow gay men to donate plasma without abstaining from sex (11 Jan. 2018)
• National blood services centre goes underground (23 Nov. 2016)

Italy

• European Court of Human Rights rules Italy must pay €10m to compensate 350 people infected with viruses via transfusion (14 Jan. 2017)
  • Transfusion-associated HIV-infected patients dissatisfied with €10 million payout (15 Jan. 2016)

Jamaica

• Woman awarded $millions 10 yrs after botched transfusion (18 Dec. 2016) | $1m JMD = ~$7600 USD

Japan

• In world first, woman’s death linked to hepatitis E infection after blood transfusion (1 Feb. 2018)
• Megakaryon hopes to mass produce platelet concentrates from iPS cells and preserve them by freezing (14 Aug. 2016)
  • Background: Japanese firm works on creating platelets in vitro (19 June 2016) | Megakaryon Corp
• Drugmaker Kaketsuken's misconduct betrays good will of blood donors (9 Jan. 2016)

Lebanon

• Meeting an organ trafficker who preys on Syrian refugees (25 Apr. 2017)
  • Meeting an organ trafficker (2 min 36 sec. BBC video)

Malawi

• Jehovah’s Witness nurse refused to administer transfusion (3 June 2017)
• Nurses at Blood Transfusion Service fired for protesting no lunch allowance. (4 Nov. 2016)
  • Selling blood to ill employees also a factor in ensuing lawsuit.

Malaysia

• 5 things I leaned about being a vampire in Malaysia (23 July 2017)
  • Interesting article by 20-year old with beta thalassemia major. Note: 100 Malaysian ringgit = ~$23USD
• Court of Appeal upholds RM846,000 award to man infected with HIV from 2005 transfusion (31 May 2017) | 846,000 Malaysia ringitts = $197,498 USD
  • Medical centre to pay 27-year old RM896,000 for HIV-contaminated blood transfusion (4 Feb. 2016)

Mexico

• Jehovah's Witness takes case to prevent child from receiving blood transfusions before Supreme Court (21 Oct. 2017)

Nepal

• Blood components being 'smuggled' to India (16 June 2017) | Cost of blood in India is 10-20 times higher than Nepal's

Nigeria

• Fake doctor nabbed for infecting 6 yr-old boy with HIV (19 July 2017)
• State of blood system since USA's PEPFAR funding (2005-15) ended (11 June 2017)
• How blood system safety runs at the mercy of foreigners (14 June 2016)
  • State of blood service since USA's PEPFAR pulled funding after 10 years

Pakistan

• Sindh government fails to operationalise 4 German-funded blood centres (25 Jan. 2018)
• Police rescue 24 from organ trafficking gang (24 Jan. 2017)
• 80,000 HIV patients currently residing in Punjab: report (3 Dec. 2017)
• The making of an HIV catastrophe (5 Oct. 2017)
• Regional Blood Transfusion Center co-funded by Germany to be built in Islamabad (30 Aug. 2017)
• Inefficient, ineffective Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (3 Aug. 2017)
• Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS detected in kids after multiple blood transfusions (14 May 2016)
• Sindh province: Almost 2 dozen illegal blood banks sealed since January, 170 since 2013 (23 Feb. 2016)

Philippines

• Government mandates blood type be included on all government-issued identification, e.g, passports, driver's licenses, and more (18 Oct. 2017)

Romania

• Transylvanian festival offers ticket discount for blood donors | Get 'em young!

Russia

• Nearly 1.3M donors gave blood in 2017, says Health Ministry (Tass News Agency, 20 Apr. 2018) | Note: Russia's population is ~143.9M
• Court outlaws 'extremist' Jehovah's Witnesses (20 Apr. 2017) Background:
  • Supreme Court hears case that could outlaw Jehovah's Witnesses (6 April 2017)
  • Justice Ministry claim that, by refusing blood transfusions, Jehovah's Witnesses break law forbidding “extremism”.
• Fourth largest city has HIV epidemic (2 Nov. 2016)
• Government appoints Natsimbio (part of Rostec) as sole supplier of blood plasma drugs for 2016-17 (24 June 2016)
  • Rostec's CEO is former KGB general and close friend of Vladimir Putin

Rwanda

• Government develops drone regulation framework in consultation with WEF’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (23 Jan. 2018) | Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
• Zipline drones delivering blood to hospitals (3:32 video) (3 Jan. 2018)
• Drone delivery of blood begins (2 Nov. 2016)
• Drones to be deployed to deliver blood and other medical supplies (11 Feb. 2016)
  • Government and US robotics firm Zipline Inc. press conference
  • Droneport to be built as hub by Foster+ Partners, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Afrotech, and others (16 Sept. 2015)

Serbia

• Woman infected with HIV through blood transfusion dies from primary illness (12 Dec. 2017)

South Africa

• Durban man sues blood service after contracting terminal disease (19 Sept. 2017) | SANBS does not test donor blood for HTLV-1
• SANBS warns 'nyaope' addicts of dangers of trying to share drug's 'high' via injecting blood (8 Feb. 2017)
  • Nyaope 'Bluetooth' craze caught on video (2 Feb. 2017)

South Korea

• Nation overuses blood transfusion, despite chronic shortage (23 Jan. 2018)
• Patient blood management can overcome blood shortage (1 Dec. 2017)

South Sudan

• WHO with support from Japan strengthens blood transfusion services in South Sudan (1 Dec. 2017)

Spain

• Blood donor incentive: A pillow for a pint (16 Apr. 2018)

Switzerland

• Postal service uses drones to fly lab samples between hospitals in city of Lugano (31 Mar. 2017)
• Swiss Red Cross proposes one year blood donor deferral for MSM (21 June 2016)

Taiwan

• Centers for Disease Control and Blood Services deny HIV-tainted transfusion cover-up (29 Dec. 2016)

Tanzania

• Nation suffers from critical shortage of experts in haematology and blood transfusion (8 Jan. 2018)
• Blood testing services at the National Blood Transfusion Service may soon become automated (12 Dec. 2017)
• Blood transfusion is for free, government says (12 Dec. 2017)
• Government announces Zipline's drones will make up to 2,000 deliveries/day beginning in 2018 (24 Aug. 2017)
  • Background on Tanzania and blood delivery via drones (Nice video by Design Boom, 24 Aug. 2017)

Thailand

• Desperate search for A Rh neg blood for British backpacker crash victim (11 Jan. 2016)
  • Briton has transfusion after social media appeal (11 Jan. 2016)

Trinidad & Tobago

• Medical Centre and doctor lose appeal over $18m lawsuit from ex-finance minister for alleged negligence in her husband’s death (18 Nov. 2017)
• Persons responsible for HIV contamination will be punished (12 Apr. 2017)
  • Three contract HIV from contaminated blood (12 Apr. 2017)
• No risk to entire blood bank supply (17 Mar. 2017)
  • Three persons allegedly given HIV-infected blood (16 Mar. 2017)

Turkey

• Man with HIV sues Turkish Red Crescent after 21 years (1 Dec. 2017) | Background:
  • Man infected with HIV 21 years ago wants to leave country (20 Mar. 2017)
  • For interest: Can a person living with HIV immigrate to Canada?
• Istanbul University to pay family of woman who died after wrong blood transfusion (3 Mar. 2017)
  • Ongoing charges of 'involuntary manslaughter' vs two physicians, one of whom (anesthetist) blames two nurses for the error.

Uganda

• Don’t politicise blood donation (17 Feb. 2018) | Editorial
  • Doctors condemn Blood Bank's decision to shun FDC blood donation drive (15 Feb. 2018) | FDC is Uganda's main opposition party
• Death traps in hospitals as blood runs out again (23 Jan. 2018) | 45% of UBTS budget funded by US PEPFAR, now ended
  • Related: Why blood shortages hit Uganda's hospitals (22 Jan. 2018)
• Locals treat sickle cell anemia with drinking guinea-pig blood to deal with blood shortage (19 Jan. 2018) | Warning: Graphic video
• Hospital's role in hemorrhaging patient's death (25 June 2017)

UK

• West Suffolk Hospital takes ‘immediate action’ to improve blood transfusion services (6 Apr. 2018)
• Dr. Hadiza Bawa-Garba wins right to appeal being struck off (1 Apr. 2018) | Related:
  • Bawa-Garba granted Court of Appeal challenge against erasure ruling BMJ 2018; 360 (EPub 29 Mar. 2018)
• Severn Freewheelers motorcycle Blood Bike volunteers save lives (2 Apr. 2018)
• Blood transfusion services to remain in individual acute hospital after restructuring of Lancashire’s pathology services (30 Mar. 2018)
• £800,000 investment in blood tracking makes transfusions in Lincolnshire amongst safest in UK (14 Mar. 2018) | Blood360
• Northern Ireland: Haemochromatosis: 'Celtic curse' gene can cause major organ damage (2 Mar. 2018)
• After 10 years Air Ambulance charity asks Bath residents to help find their first patients treated(20 Mar. 2018)
• Nurse in Bawa-Garba case: Hospital doctor and one of two nurses charged found guilty of manslaughter after blunders left 6-year-old boy dead (4 Nov. 2015)
  • UK Nursing and Midwifery Council Conduct and Competence Committee Hearing on Isabel Maria Amaro (15 July & 4 Aug 2016)
  • Also see General above
• Women given contaminated blood after miscarriage and childbirth (2 Mar. 2018) | Part of the series, Blood On Their Hands
• IBMS responds to Guardian article, 'Safety blunders expose lab staff to potentially lethal diseases in UK' (13 Feb. 2018)
• Scotland: Biomedical scientist suspended for 18 months for bullying Haematology and Blood Transfusion staff (13 Feb. 2018)
  • Decision of the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service hearing (Jan. 29-Feb. 2, 2018)
• Thousands fewer donate blood across Scotland as advances in transfusion practices sees demand fall (9 Feb. 2018)
• Contingency measures in place to ensure Jersey can provide emergency transfusions if UK supplies disrupted (4 Feb. 2018)
• Researcher at University of Bristol hopes to use CRISPR to create ‘universal’ red blood cells (15 Jan. 2018) | Bristol BioDesign Institute
• Patient supports nurse who performed blood transfusion and claims she was 'bullied out of her job' after 15 years of service (13 Jan. 2018)
• Nurse whose identity error led to patient struck off after 18 month suspension (12 Jan. 2018)
  • Nursing and Midwifery Council Fitness to Practise Committee Substantive Hearing 27 Oct. and 15 Dec. 2017
• Mum died a week after giving birth due to complications from a rare blood type (27 Dec. 2017)
• Northern Ireland: Biker had 9 surgeries, 40 transfusions, amputated leg, to save his life after Thai bike crash (25 Dec. 2017)
• Experts who think blood transfusions could be harmful (12 Dec. 2017) | What readers of UK's tabloid press are subject to
• Qiagen and Merck to unveil £1bn boost for UK's Brexit future (26 Nov. 2017)
• Northern Ireland: Blood vending machine (Hemosafe^®) 'a first' for NI (10 Nov. 2017)
• Where Brexit hurts: the nurses and doctors leaving London (21 Nov. 2017) Some examples:
  • Thousands of nurses needed in North West hospitals (21 Nov. 2017)
  • NHS hires 5,500 'rolling' nurses from abroad (29 Nov. 2017)
  • Doubt over EU staff in NHS threatens patient care, hospital bosses say (7 Nov. 2017)
• Welsh Blood Bikes charity transports hospital specimens, mother's milk, blood, and more (19 Nov. 2017)
• SpheriTech receives £69,781 grant from Innovate UK to help develop its HBOC, SpheriSome® Hb (14 Nov. 2017) | Innovate UK / SpheriTech Ltd
• NHSBT campaign for more black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
  • NHSBT uses Twitter to explain why it needs more black people to donate blood (8 Nov. 2017)
• SHOT newsletter, Autumn 2017
• Jehovah's Witness dies after refusing blood transfusion during major operation (19 Oct. 2017)
• War on drugs: Big Pharma fights NHS bill curbs (10 Sept. 2017)
• Man who received Great North Air Ambulance's first plasma transfusion makes miraculous recovery (22 Sept. 2017)
• Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance now carries blood on ‘Ambucopter’, can undertake on-site transfusions (20 Sept. 2017)
• Council decides further sanctions for nurse after 18 mth suspension for 5 charges, one involving transfusion, ends 20 Oct. 2017 (Conduct and Competence Committee, 3-5 July 2017, Nursing and Midwifery Council)
• Examining how commercialisation in the NHS can endanger our health (18 Aug. 2017)
  • Sheffield Save our NHS
• Northern Ireland: Apology over Indian blood donation 'embarrassment' (15 Aug. 2017)
• Shropshire blood banks may be 'collecting too much' amid service review (7 Aug. 2017)
• Blood donation rules relaxed for gay men and sex workers (22 July 2017)
  • MSM deferral drops from 12 to 3 months (Scotland Nov. 2017, England, early 2018)
• Orphaned Bristol woman who lost parents in contaminated blood scandal is taking her story national (21 July 2017)
• Lack of trust in health department could derail blood contamination inquiry (19 July 2017)
  • 10 campaign groups and Haemophilia Society refuse to attend meeting to consult them about establishing inquiry, because they do not want department implicated in the scandal to oversee the process.
• Contaminated blood scandal survivor hopes new probe brings justice (14 July 2017)
• The Guardian view on the contaminated blood scandal: justice at last (Editorial, 13 July 2017)
  • The delay has not only meant a denial of justice; it will make it much harder to trace responsibility or establish culpability. It is already clear that documents were long ago destroyed.
• Big Pharma takes NHS to court over a new price cap on medicines (12 July 2017)
  • Related: Big Pharma sues drugs watchdog over medicines price cap (10 July 2017)
• Prime Minister announces contaminated blood scandal inquiry (11 July 2017)
  • Inquiry into how thousands infected with HCV and HIV via transfusion follows long campaign by backbench MPs and pressure groups (11 July 2017)
  • Former Health Secretary demands NHS contaminated blood inquiry (26 Apr. 2017)
• Great Western Air Ambulance to carry plasma for additional life-saving capability (7 July 2017)
• Scotland: SNBTS stops blood donation clinics on Stornoway (Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides) (29 June 2017) | Reasons cited: Transport delays and unpredictable weather
• Outsourcing in the pharmaceutical and life sciences - a UK perspective (22 June 2017) | Long read but interesting legal perspective, plus impact of Brexit
• Northern Ireland: DOH admits more than 1,000 health workers not paid National Living Wage, including those in Blood Transfusion Service (5 June 2017)
• NHS issues urgent appeal for 40,000 black people to give blood and save lives (20 June 2017)
• Patient at Oxford Haemophilia Centre demands DOH hold blood scandal enquiry 'for the sake of humanity' (13 May 2017)
• Northern Ireland: The right and compassionate thing to do (9 May 2017)
  • Feature on first NHS nurse in Northern Ireland to administer a blood transfusion in a patient’s home (1999)
• Scotland: Campaigners call for end to blanket ban on gay male blood donors (27 Apr. 2017)
• MP alleges ‘cover-up’ over contaminate blood scandal that killed Dagenham victims (25 Apr. 2017)
• Devoted air ambulance doctor and Army medic rewarded for her life-saving 'Blood on Board' legacy (5 April 2017)
• NHS: Victim HCV payment scheme to be scaled back (7 Mar. 2017)
• Carrying FFP on air ambulances sees "unexpected survivors" (28 Feb. 2017)
• Blood transfusion refusals – why new guidelines aren't up to scratch (22 Feb. 2017)
• Nurse spared jail over fatal blood transfusion (9 Feb. 2017)
  • More details: Nurse given suspended sentence (9 Feb. 2017)
• Young men top list for air ambulance blood transfusions (27 Dec. 2016)
• London nurse who killed patient by giving him wrong blood is convicted (14 Dec. 2016)
  • Background: Court told there should have been 'no possibility' for a nurse to accidentally kill a pensioner in a blood transfusion blunder (6 Dec. 2016)
  • Filipino nurse allegedly killed a 75-year-old by giving him the wrong blood type in a botched transfusion (18 Jan. 2016)
  • UK tabloids persecute nurse. Where is NHSBT culture of no blame in all this?
• Potentially life-threatening errors are happening in the NHS almost once a day as details of blunders emerge (27 Nov. 2016)
  • Has UK's tabloid press ever heard of SHOT reports?
• NHS Trust helping to develop new technology (CoaguScan) to quickly detect internal bleeding (9 Nov. 2016)
• Wales: Man suffered debilitating stroke in 2011 after botched autologous transfusion due to inadequate staff training (12 Oct. 2016)
  • Family receives unspecified compensation 5 years later
  • Solicitor: 'The rate of transfusion was also far too high and by allowing air to remain in the bag and the line the risk of a cardiac embolism was heightened, leading to the devastating consequences.'
  • Article by family's lawyer
• ‘Medics knew risk of HIV-infected blood’ given to patients at Royal Free Hospital (5 Oct. 2016) | Similar to Canada, documented by Krever Inquiry (1993-97)
• SHOT: Human factors in transfusion (5 Oct. 2016 by Dr. Paula Bolton-Maggs)
  • 78% of all incidents error-related. Transfusion errors  frequently multiple (median number=3)
• Issues with Leeds Hospitals pathology IT system lead to major disruption (23 Sept. 2016)
  • IBMS responds to IT fault at Leeds Teaching Hospital (26 Sept. 2016)
• Scotland: SNBTS gets help with move to new HQ in Heriot-Watt Research Park, Edinburgh (29 Sept. 2016)
  • Background: SNBTS to centralize core services (processing, testing, manufacturing) and relocate HQ in Edinburgh (29 Oct. 2015)
• Nurse gave patient wrong blood, tried to hide evidence (18 Sept. 2016) | RN had unblemished 20-yr career
  • Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): NMC hearing results (8-9 Sept. 2016)
  • More records of transfusion-related allegations vs nurses brought before UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council
• Biomedical scientist suspended for 6 months after failing to keep transfusion equipment clean (10 Sept. 2016)
  • Disciplinary hearing (25 Aug. 2016)
  • Where does this fit? 'Panel is satisfied that the failings on the part of the Registrant did not arise through a lack of competence. She had performed her duties as a Band 7 Biomedical Scientist for 9 years without previous capability action.'
• Scotland: Awareness campaign to find NHS HCV-contaminated blood patients (2 Sept. 2016)
• Northern Ireland: NIBTS joins global Missing Type campaign (16 Aug. 2016) | Fascinating statistics
• UK (SHOT Symposium 2016): Presentations and Posters
• Northern Ireland: Lifetime ban on gay men donating blood to be lifted (2 June 2016)
• Dr Gail Miflin replaces Dr. Lorna Williamson as NHSBT Medical & Research Director
  • Dr. Lorna Williamson bio (p. 7)
• Middlewich woman donates blood onboard cruise ship in middle of Pacific Ocean (23 May 2016)
• Scotland: Transfusion-associated hepatitis C victim caught between NHS-England and NHS-Scotland over compensation (7 May 2016)
• Praise for air ambulance transfusions one year on (3 Apr. 2016)
• Victim of NHS blood transfusion scandal dies aged 62 after decades long fight for justice (30 Mar. 2016)
• Scotland: Dr. Sam Rawlinson of SNBTS dies at 58 (23 Mar. 2016)
• Mum makes full recovery after losing 44 pints of blood during labour, biggest transfusion in UK ever (16 Mar. 2016)
• Scotland: Improvements to financial support given to victims of contaminated blood scandal must be made urgently (9 Feb. 2016)
• Emergency blood transfusions for major trauma need to be more rapid and consistent (4 Feb. 2016)
  • Stanworth SJ, Davenport R, Curry N, Seeney F, Eaglestone S, Edwards A, et al. Mortality from trauma haemorrhage and opportunities for improvement in transfusion practice. Brit J Surg 2016 (Pub online Feb. 3, 2016)
• Woman dies in surgery after spelling error delays blood transfusion (2 Feb. 2016)
• Mum who lost astonishing 18 pints of blood during harrowing birth sets new record for most blood products (39) (29 Jan. 2016)
• NHSBT offers blood group genotyping for patients with hemoglobinopathies (22 Jan. 2016)
• HCV/HIV contaminated blood: Long-awaited consultation launched (21 Jan. 2016)
• Victim's alcohol level difficult to calculate due to 21 transfusions and saline drip (20 Jan. 2016)
• Filipino nurse allegedly killed 75-year-old by transfusing him with wrong blood group (18 Jan. 2016)
  • Why indicate it's Filipino nurse?

USA

• Desert Regional Medical Center penalized $250,000 each for two 2015 deaths (19 Apr. 2019)
• AABB Regulatory Updates: Warnings regarding synthetic marijuana use by plasma and blood donors
  • Three dead in the US after spread of synthetic cannabis laced with rat poison (14 Apr. 2018)
  • 89 cases of vitamin K dependent bleeding associated with synthetic marijuana use and some deaths. Synthetic pot can be laced with “rat poison.” Most at risk are paid plasma donors
  • CDC: About synthetic cannabinoids
• Court of Appeal reverses judgment in favor of woman whose husband diagnosed with ITP died from acute cerebral hemorrhage (10 April 2018)
• Theranos lays off most of its remaining employees to delay bankruptcy (10 Apr. 2018)
• NASA UTM Program completes TCL 3 testing at Nevada drone site (28 Mar. 2018)
• AABB signs letter opposing CMS changes to see BS in nursing as equivalent to biological science degrees (12 Mar. 2018) | Would allow RNs to supervise clinical labs, perform high complexity testing, assess competency of lab professionals
  • Request for Information: Revisions to Personnel Regulations, Proficiency Testing Referral, Histocompatibility Regulations and Fee Regulations Under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) (Relevant section is bookmarked)
• Red blood cell, plasma transfusions decline nationwide (23 Mar. 2018)
• Theranos, CEO Holmes, and former President Balwani charged with massive fraud (SEC Press Release, 14 Mar. 2018) | Related
  • Theranos is what happens when biomedicine gets to play by Silicon Valley’s rules (15 Mar. 2018)
• How blood-plasma companies target the poorest Americans (15 Mar. 2018) | Related article:
  • Blood plasma, sweat, and tears: many of America’s poorest people rely on stipends they receive for donating plasma (1 Sept. 2015)
• Drones tested for emergency medical response (10 Mar. 2018)
• FDA approves first tests to screen for tickborne parasite in whole blood and plasma to protect blood supply (6 Mar. 2018)
• Research technologist sentenced to 15 months in prison for failing to follow SOPs when performing genetic tests, plus pay employer $69K (5 Mar. 2018)
  • United States of America v. Floyd A. Benko (16 Feb. 2016)
• You're less likely to get a transfusion now (27 Feb. 2018) 
  • Goel R, Chappidi MR, Patel EU, Ness PM, Cushing MM, Frank SM, Tobian AAR. Trends in red blood cell, plasma, and platelet transfusions in the United States, 1993-2014. JAMA. 2018 Feb 27;319(8):825-7.
• Mexican donors cross Rio Grande for paid plasma money in Texas (21 Feb. 2018)
• FBI scrutinizes funeral home running a side business: selling human body parts (11 Jan. 2018, Pt. 8 of Reuters series, The Body Trade)
• NIH gives $3.4m grant to investigate role of DEHP and other chemicals in causing transfusion complications (8 Feb. 2018)
  • Jaimes R 3rd, et al. Plastics and cardiovascular health: phthalates may disrupt heart rate variability and cardiovascular reactivity. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2017 Nov 1;313(5):H1044-53.
• Getting paid for plasma: repeat donors earning cash for blood (23 Jan. 2018)
• NLRB finds CMC unlawfully fired two nurses to rid itself of union organizing drive, not because they broke transfusion protocols (9 Jan. 2018)
  • Full NLRB decision on nurses fired for union activity
• Electronic screening process doesn’t keep out all ineligible paid plasma donors at Plasma Biological Services (26 Dec. 2017)
• Reindeer’s blood donation saves his brother’s life (20 Dec. 2017) | Case of hemolysis caused by Babesiosis
• DoD awards Terumo BCT grant to explore feasibility of next-generation Mirasol (6 Dec. 2017)
• Too many HIV-positive youth in U.S. do not notify past partners (10 Nov. 2017)
  • van den Berg JJ, Javanbakht M, Gorbach PM, Rudy BJ, Westfall AO, Wilson CM, Lally MA; Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions. Partner notification for youth living with HIV in 14 cities in the United States. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2017 Oct 4. [Epub ahead of print]
• Family of child with cerebral palsy wins $23m malpractice case (13 Nov. 2018)
  • According to court documents, a delayed blood transfusion caused the child to develop cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other serious health problems.
• We can prevent half of fatal infections from blood transfusion by screening for babesiosis (3 Nov. 2017)
• Opening up blood donations to sexually active gay men could save millions (Oped, 26 Oct. 2017)
• ARC study: Babesia parasite poses threat to U.S. blood supply (23 Oct. 2017)
• Texas: Wrongful death lawsuit filed against hospital (23 Oct. 2017)
  • Cause of death: Sickle-cell crisis and hemolysis secondary to cold antibody
  • Lawsuit: Plaintiffs vs United Regional Health Care System(Filed 20 Oct. 2017)
• Older donors crucial to nation’s blood supply (21 Oct. 2017)
• Family awarded $4 million in malpractice suit after woman died following post-partum hemorrhage (16 Oct. 2017)
• 12 NYC hospitals, medical schools agree to ditch blood transfusion machines that could be used as dirty bomb (11 Oct. 2017)
• FDA approves first Zika test for blood donations (FDA news release, 5 Oct. 2017)
• Scientists race to create 'synthetic blood' in wake of mass tragedies (5 Oct. 2017)
  • Research on hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) spans 70+ yrs
• The young blood movement is basically biotech’s goop (4 Oct. 2017)
• People are giving too much blood after the Las Vegas shooting, medical officials say (5 Oct. 2017) | Background:
  • United Blood Services sends more than 200 units of blood to Las Vegas hospitals (4 Oct. 2017) | Important to note it's blood already on shelf that saves lives
  • Korcok M. Blood donations dwindle in US after post-Sept. 11 wastage publicized CMAJ. 2002 Oct 15;167(8):907.
  • The 9/11 Blood-donation disaster (29 July 2002)
• FDA cracks down on stem cell clinics (29 Aug. 2017)
• Real case of a transfusion medicine Dr, who with her spouse, bought 4,000 shares of Immucor in 1982 for $11K (7 June 2017)
  • Case focuses on her tax woes after her share became $1,717,038 in 2011
  • U.S. Tax Court Finding of Fact and Opinion (1 June 2017)
• Clinical trial of transfusion therapies for heart attack patients may place them in danger without fully disclosing risks, says consumer advocacy group (1 Aug. 2017)
• Blood use best practices can save hospitals millions (21 July 2017)
• 5 steps to reduce blood costs at your hospital (21 July 2017)
• Family of Jehovah's Witness who died after refusing blood transfusion can't keep suing doctors (19 July 2017)
  • 2017 transcript of Appeal of 2015 court decision: Seels, R. v. Tenet Health System (18 July 2017)
  • Fascinating: Outlines entire case in detail, including what physicians did
• Baby giraffe 'Julius' dies despite plasma transfusions (16 July 2017)
  • Maryland Zoo: Baby giraffe receives 2nd plasma transfusion (10 July 2017)
• FTC seeks public comment on application by Grifols to amend 2011 divestiture agreement (5 July 2017)
  • Background: FTC rulings (28 June 2017)
  • FTC required Grifolsto make significant divestitures to allow it to acquire Talecris Biotherapeutics (as it was deemed anti-competitive) but Grifols wants to amend the ruling
• Getting paid for plasma (19 June 2017)
• 'Walking blood bank' in a backpack that Bloodworks Northwest plans to commercialize for use in remote areas (2 June 2017)
• Blood donors aren’t getting paid, but their blood is being sold (8 May 2017) | Examination of the issues by Wisconsin college newspaper
• After man dies from TRALI widow wants donor questionnaire changed (4 May 2017)
• Survey finds burnout and low morale cause nearly 50% of doctors to consider retirement, non-clinical roles, or concierge medicine (3 May 2017)
• Former police officer accused of speeding, driving drunk, and killing two passengers claims blood alcohol test contaminated by transfusions (27 Apr. 2017)
• Blood banks confident blood supply safe from Zika virus (7 April 2017)
• Blood Donor Deferral Policy for Reducing the Risk of HIV Transmission by Blood and Blood Products (AABB Statement to FDA's BPAC, 4 Apr. 2017)
• Judge now decides case of RNs fired for ignoring #transfusion policy or union activity (5 Apr. 2017)
  • Full decision of National Labor Relations Board
  • FDA delays off-label rule opposed by Big Pharma (17 Mar. 2017)
  • Hearing of RNs fired for not following #transfusion policy or union activity soon wraps up (3 Apr. 2017)
  • Court orders 2 fired ICU RNs reinstated (23 Mar. 2017)
  • Rules nurses were likely fired because of union activity not that they violated hospital's transfusion policy
  • Hearings of ICU RNs fired for union activity or ignoring transfusion protocol:
  • Plaintiff rests, hospital's case starts tomorrow(3 Feb. 2017)
  • NLRB-CMC Hearings Day 7: Fired ICU nurse Marshall delivers crucial testimony (2 Mar. 2017)
  • Background: Hearings resume for ICU RNs unlawfully fired for union activity or for ignoring transfusion protocol?(28 Feb. 2017)
  • Judge sides with nurse fired at Cayuga Medical Center regarding unemployment(9 Feb. 2017)
  • Background: National Labor Relations Board investigating whether hospital terminated two nurses because of union involvement or because they violated hospital's blood transfusion policy (12 Jan. 2017) | Also see article's reports of the hearing from Mon-Tues-Wed.
• Dobby the giraffe receives plasma transfusion at Denver Zoo (3 Feb. 2017)
• Big Pharma quietly enlists leading professors to justify $1,000/day drugs, inc. new hepatitis C drugs (23 Feb. 2017)
• Reasons for botched Zika testing at DC public health lab (25 Feb. 2017)
• ARC seeks volunteer transport drivers and have for a long time
• San Diego Blood Bank pivots to research to diversify revenue stream amid drop in transfusions (13 Feb. 2017)
• For $8,000 startup can pump you full of young blood in hopes of finding a fountain of youth (15 Jan. 17)
  • Ambrosia LLC
  • Trial so poorly designed it cannot hope to provide evidence about the effects of the transfusions. (13 Jan. 2017)
  • Some say pay-to-participate study, with potential to collect up to $4.8m from up to 600 participants, is a scam.
• Why thousands of low-income Americans 'donate' their blood plasma to for-profit centers (13 Jan. 2017)
• AABB, ABC, ARC: Joint Statement to the Food and Drug Administration's Blood Product Advisory Committee (23 Nov 2016) | Relates to FDA’s request regarding its Blood Donor Deferral Policy for Reducing the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Blood and Blood Products (28 July 2016)
• UCLA Health reduced transfusions by 20% with clinical decision support, all-electronic bar code scanning (11 Jan. 2017)
• Uncertainty in USA blood supply chains challenging (8 Jan. 2017)
  • 2008-14 BB industry revenue dropped $3.5b
• Blood industry shrinks as transfusions decline (22 Aug. 2014 - Old but still relevant)
• 21-year-old jaguar doing well following blood transfusion from another jaguar (13 Dec. 2016)
• AABB, ABC, ARC: A Joint Statement to the Food and Drug Administration's Blood Product Advisory Committee (18 Nov 2016) | Relates to FDA's “Recommendations for Donor Screening, Deferral, and Product Management to Reduce theRisk of Transfusion-Transmission of Zika Virus”
  • FDA defends universal testing of donated blood for Zika virus (21 Nov. 2016)
• Blood Bank of Alaska internal investigation finds no wrongdoing (19 Nov. 2016)
  • Report Of The Special Investigation Committee Regarding Allegations In August 28, 2016 FDA Complaint (7 Nov. 2016)
• Alaska Blood Bank ships excess blood to Lifeline in California for a fee (15 Aug. 2016)
  • CEO: Financial details about LifeStream contract are "proprietary," "very sensitive" and "contractually driven" and wouldn't be made public.
  • Alaska Blood also a contract to export plasma to CSL Plasma Inc. in FL (headquarters in Australia)
• Biotest paid plasma center opens (11 Oct. 2016)
  • Psychology majors surprised to use machines and poke people without certificate
• NC EMS (one of only 2 in USA to transfuse in the field) to add charge of $250 for transfusions to its fee schedule (3 Oct. 2016)
  • Paramedics now administer transfusions in NC (28 Sept. 2016)
    • Question: Do government blood safety regulators conduct audits in all nations where this occurs?
• Money for bone-marrow donors? Company says yes; feds say no (16 Sept. 2016)
  • Hemeos (Pay for-stem-cells start-up)
• Donating plasma, medical studies possible source of student income (9 Sept. 2016) | Possible earnings: $250/mth and $250/dy
• Michigan Blood prepping to test entire blood supply for Zika virus (2 Sept. 2016) | Case study in adhering to FDA's Guidance
• A surprise shill for Big Pharma? (9 Aug. 2016)
• Paid plasma & Iowa politics (4 Aug. 2016)
  • Got a toothache? Better schedule some sessions at the plasma center to get cash to pay the dentist.
• FDA opens door to a change in blood donation policy for gay men (26 July 2016)
  • FDA: Blood Donor Deferral Policy for Reducing the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (28 July 2016) | Soon available here
• Federal fraud case in NJ brings more convictions/indictments of doctors who accepted bribes (22 July 2016)
  • Rare case of tough federal enforcement of anti-kickback laws
• CDC: Gay and bisexual teen males no more likely than heterosexual teen males to engage in sexual risk behaviors but at substantially higher risk of HIV infection (Press release, July 20, 2016)
  • HIV diagnosis rates are 57 times higher among men who have sex with men (MSM) than among heterosexual men.
• Fetus with hydrops fetalis caused by parvovirus B19 has IUT (17 July 2016)
• Plastic surgeons live-stream surgeries on Facebook and Periscope (14 July 2016)
• To keep blood supply safe, screening blood is more important than banning donors (16 June 2016)
• Circular of Information for the Use of Cellular Therapy Products (June 2016)
• 3 years and many inspections after patient died from wrong transfusion, NY lab still cannot do its own blood typing (5 June 2016)
• Baby has 12 intrauterine transfusions (27 May 2016)
  • Rh immune globulin not given in first pregnancy
• HHS ships blood products to Puerto Rico in response to Zika outbreak (7 Mar. 2016)
• Jury awards family of Jehovah's Witness who died from blood loss $100K (19 Feb. 2016)
  • Atlanta Medical Center found guilty of negligent misrepresentation
  • Also see negligent misrepresentation (in detail)
  • Plaintiff expert witnesses included Aryeh Shander, Director of Institute for Patient Blood Management and Bloodless Medicine, Englewood Hospital, NJ
• Man sues Blood Bank of Hawaii and ARC alleging he became HIV-positive from 2011 blood transfusion (3 Feb. 2016)
• ARC spokesperson says claims against ARC have no merit.
• Hospitals in NY State & throughout U.S. advertising to attract growing number of Canadian medical tourists (27 Jan. 2016) | Right wing Fraser Institute heavily quoted
• Why you get paid to donate plasma, not blood (22 Jan. 2016)
  • Background: The twisted business of donating plasma (28 May 2014)
  • 5 big players: USA's Baxter and Talecris, Australia's CSL, Spain's Grifols, Switzerland's Octapharma, possibly Biotest AG, an arm of the Dutch nonprofit Sanquin. Since 2008, plasma pharmaceuticals have increased from $4b to more than $11b

Venezuela

• Nearly bankrupt nation faces critical blood shortage, lacks money to pay for transmissible disease testing reagents (8 Mar. 2018)

Vietnam

• Wanted: Vietnamese with rare blood types (3 July 2016)
• Briton donates 'rare' A Rh-negative blood to save Vietnamese man (7 May 2016)

Yemen

• Yemen teeters on brink of new 'catastrophe' as blood bank eyes closure (10 Aug. 2017)

Zimbabwe

• Government's blood coupon system improves accessibility of blood and blood-related products to women with pregnancy-related complications (20 Mar. 2018)
• Finance Minister rules out nationalising National Blood Services and warned doing so would cause service to deteriorate (23 Jan. 2018)
• Government slashes cost of blood to $50 per pint (1 Jan. 2017)
• Political will needed to end the high cost of blood transfusion (27 Dec. 2017)
• Prohibitive blood prices cost lives (10 June 2016)
• Hospital and physician face prosecution after woman dies from cardiac arrest following severe bleeding (16 Feb. 2016)
  • Hospital lacks blood storage refrigerator and National Blood Transfusion Service (30-40 mins. away) was closed due to holiday