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

• Leading geneticists say research shows transfusions of young blood could stave off illness in older patients (8 Sept. 2018)
  • Partridge L, Deelen J3, Slagboom PE. Facing up to the global challenges of ageing. Nature. 2018 Sep;561(7721):45-56. Epub 2018 Sep 5.
  • Flatt T, Partridge L. Horizons in the evolution of aging. BMC Biol. 2018 Aug 20;16(1):93. (Free full text)
  • Dame Linda Partridge | More via Google search
• World's largest transfusion study in cardiac surgery changes transfusion practices (27 Aug. 2018)
  • Mazer CD, et al., for the TRICS Investigators and Perioperative Anesthesia Clinical Trials Group. Six-month outcomes after restrictive or liberal transfusion for cardiac surgery. N Engl J Med. Epub 26 Aug. 2018. (Free full text)
• In the quest for universal blood, go with your gut (21 Aug. 2018) | After decades of research it's back in the news
  • Making universal donor blood from other blood types (2:03 video)
• Will Swedish research on proteomics be the game-changer in the long push to end blood transfusions in sport? (24 Aug. 2018) Background:
  • Umeå University spin-off gets investment to stop blood doping | Christopher Malm
  • Why doping in sports is so hard to catch (26 Nov. 2015)
• Whole genome-based antigen testing may improve transfusion outcomes (15 Aug. 2018)
  • Lane WJ, Westhoff CM, Gleadall NS, Aguad M, Smeland-Wagman R, Vege S, et al. Automated typing of red blood cell and platelet antigens: a whole-genome sequencing study. Lancet Haematol. 2018 Jun;5(6):e241-e251.Epub 2018 May 17.
• UK: 2017 SHOT Report (220 pp.) | Summary (4 pp. of infographics) | Supplementary info (inc. links to all)
• WHO: World hepatitis Day (28 July 2018)
• Choosing Wisely: Five things physicians and patients should question (SABM, 23 July 2018)
• Big Pharma news
  • GlaskoSmithKline: 23andMe sells its DNA library to Big Pharma's GSK (26 July 2018)
  • UK: British doctors lack transparency where Big Pharma pays (2 July 2018)
  • USA: Investigation examines Big Pharma payments to FDA advisers (6 July 2018)
    • Hidden conflicts? Pharma payments to FDA advisers after drug approvals spark ethical concerns (5 July 2018)
  • Despite looming resistance crisis, Novartis is latest to withdraw from antibiotics research (12 July 2018)
  • USA: Big Pharma and misleading news releases to journalists (18 June 2018) | Includes 10 questions to ask
• Erythromer, another hemoglobin oxygen carrier (6 June 2018) Background:
  • $5 million aids development of 'artificial' red blood cells (26 Feb. 2018)
• Plasma fractionation market forecast to exceed US$ 26 billion by 2022 (12 June 2018)
• ISBT World Congress (June 2-6, Toronto Canada) | See Congress abstracts
• How does gender influence the academic publishing process? (BMC interview, 4 May 2018)
  • Lundine J, Bourgeault IL, Clark J, Heidari S, Balabanova D. The gendered system of academic publishing. Lancet. 2018 May 5; 391(10132):1754-6. [Full free text if you register]
• New blog by Eric Ching: Did you know? Revisiting visual hemolysis in laboratory investigation of transfusion reactions (18 May 2018)
• Canada - CSTM blog: I will remember you - Ana Lima (29 Apr. 2018)
• New era for blood transfusions through genome sequencing (17 May 2018, Brigham and Women's Hospital press release)
  • Lane WJ, et al. Automated typing of red blood cell and platelet antigens: a whole-genome sequencing study. The Lancet Haematol. EPub 17 May 2018.
  • The MedSeq Project
• Paid plasma:
  • Bans on paying for human blood distort a vital global market (10 May 2018)
  • Lift bans on paying for human-blood plasma (12 May 2018)
  • America's booming plasma industry (10 May 2018)
• Reports describe gaps in access to safe blood worldwide (3 May 2018)
• Estcourt LJ, Roberts DJ. Patient blood management – a renaissance of transfusion medicine. (editorial) Transfus Med. 2018 Apr;28(2):85-8.
• Canada: N.S. Nurses Union president wants to see better protection for nurses and all health-care workers (25 Apr. 2018)
• Schwartzstein RM, Roberts DH. Saying goodbye to lectures in medical school - Paradigm shift or passing fad? (N Engl J Med, 15 Aug. 2017) | Older but interesting
• 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)
• 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.
• 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.

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)

• Fewer blood transfusions needed worldwide (16 Sept. 2018)
• How to fix the market for plasma and save millions: pay plasma donors (2 Sept. 2018)
• Judge says hospital can give pregnant Jehovah's Witness teenager a blood transfusion (31 Aug. 2018)
• 'Beautiful blood': How Australia's CSL became a global success story (1 June 2018) | In 2017 CSL made $US 6.92 billion up 15%; net profit after tax $US1.4 billion
• ARCBS campaign to encourage partners of pregnant women to show their support by donating blood | Includes ‘She Gives Birth, You Give Blood’ (1:24 video) (5 June 2018)
• Medical scientist Robyn Devenish has been saving lives in Cambodia for nearly two decades (1 June 2018)
• Final donation for man whose plasma helped save 2.4 million babies (11 May 2018)
• HTLV-1 is endemic across central Australia. Testing takes six months and is not freely available (24 Apr. 2018)
• 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.

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

Belarus

• Pharmland plans joint venture to open plasma centres in Syria (18 Dec. 2017)

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)

Cayman Islands

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

China/Hong Kong

• Foreigner receives Chinese stem cells in transplant first (26 Apr. 2018)
• 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)

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)

Denmark

• Min. of Health announces MSM blood donors can donate after 4 mths deferral, effective 2019 (17 Aug. 2018) | Danish (Right click to translate to English)

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)

France

• Gay man banned from giving blood takes case to European court (22 June 2018)

Ghana

• Laboratory technicians withdraw blood transfusion and surveillance support services (28 May 2018)

India

• Blood banks ordered to display info about storage and pricing (7 Aug. 2018)
• First rare p blood group found in an Indian patient (with anti-PP₁P^k in serum) identified with help of UK's IBGRL (26 July 2018)
• Government tells High Court zero risk blood-transfusion is not possible (28 June 2018)
• Man breaks Ramzan fast to save thalassemic child (23 May 2018)
• Doctors call for premarital tests for thalassaemia (9 May 2018)
• World Thalassemia Day: Why couples should match blood, not 'kundli', before marriage (8 May 2018)
• Kerala State AIDS Control Society says no to a centralized NAT facility in government sector for reducing HIV window period (5 May 2018)
• Rare 'Bombay' blood group patient successfully transfused (4 May 2018)
• Witch-hunt is going on against Regional Cancer Centre over transfusion-related HIV cases, says its director (3 May 2018)
• Blood simple: It boils down to window period (30 Apr. 2018) | The state of blood donor screening in India, population 1.324 billion
  • Background: NACO will supply fourth generation Elisa kits, not NAT (1 May 2018)
• 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)

Iran

• Iran tops blood donation rate in Eastern Mediterranean and if 100% voluntary (14 Feb. 2017)

Ireland

• IBTS: Hospitals rely ‘inappropriately’ on universal group O Rh negative blood donors (1 Aug. 2018)
• ‘Bloody Foreigners’ campaign calls on Irish-Poles to donate blood (30 July 2018) IBTS: Bloody Foreigners
• IBTS to reconsider threat of vCJD (3 July 2018)
• 6 Irish scandals that journalists have brought to light (11 May 2018) | See #4: Hepatitis blood contaminations (1994)
• 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)

Israel

• IDF to replace current blood supply with whole blood (18 July 2018)
• Pilot program will allow gay men to donate plasma without abstaining from sex (11 Jan. 2018)

Japan

• Medical school has been systematically blocking female applicants (6 Aug. 2018)
• In world first, woman’s death linked to hepatitis E infection after blood transfusion (1 Feb. 2018)

Kenya

• National Blood Transfusion Services warns public hospital against the illegal sale of blood for transfusion (3 May 2018)

Korea

• Why Koreans believe in, or at least are entertained by, blood type personality theory (26 July 2018)

Malawi

• Jehovah’s Witness nurse refused to administer transfusion (3 June 2017)

Malaysia

• Tribute to Dr Cynthia Lopez, the lifeblood of haematology services in Malaysia (10 Aug. 2018)
• 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)

Malta

• When NAT introduced gay men will be allowed to donate. (29 Aug. 2018) | Unclear which criteria will apply

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)

Pakistan

• 88% blood deposits in Islamabad come from family, friends, says IBTA report (28 Aug. 2018) | 2017 donors: 67,081 (98.4%) men; 1,066 (1.6%) women
• Blood banks not a business, NGOs bear 70% of the burden (29 July 2018)
• Health experts warn contaminated blood transfusions an important mode of transmitting hepatitis (28 July 2018)
• Thalassaemia test for male to be mandatory before marriage in draft bill (8 May 2018)
• 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)

Philippines

• Why you should know your blood type before renewing your license (1 Aug. 2018)
• 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

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)

Serbia

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

Singapore

• MOH allegedly sidesteps question on whether government hospitals make profits from blood donated by the public (4 May 2018)

South Africa

• Durban man sues blood service after contracting terminal disease (19 Sept. 2017) | SANBS does not test donor blood for HTLV-1

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

• Swiss BTS to begin screening for HEV later this year (28 June 2018) | Also preparing to screen donor blood for WNV and Chikungunya due to climate change
• Postal service uses drones to fly lab samples between hospitals in city of Lugano (31 Mar. 2017)

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)

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)

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?

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

• Also see General above for 2017 SHOT Report
• Scotland: 200 years since first successful human-to-human transfusion, SNBTS is in rude health (28 Aug. 2018)
• GMC chief faces calls to step down over Bawa-Garba case (28 Aug. 2018)
• Family court judge who inspired new BBC film The Children Act speaks of heartbreak over harrowing case (26 Aug. 2018)
  • Film review by Barrister Sarah Langford (28 Aug. 2018)
• ~700 Drs sign petition asking GMC not to use their fees to pay Dr. Bawa-Garba’s court costs (21 Aug. 2018) | GMC faces large legal bill after Dr. Bawa-Garba won her appeal of its decision to strike her off the register
• Struck-off Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba wins appeal to work again (13 Aug. 2018)
  • Hadiza Bawa-Garba v The General Medical Council: Note on the judgment and order of the Court of Appeal (13 Aug. 2018)
  • UK (Royal College of Pathologists): President's statement on Bawa-Garba case
  • Struck off for honest mistakes - Entire Bawa-Garba case in review (13 Aug. 2018)
• Infected Blood Inquiry website
  • Terms of Reference
  • Summary of responses to Inquiry’s consultation seeking views on terms of reference
• Bawa-Garba case: Views from other countries:
  • Australia: Australian doctors 'disturbed' by manslaughter conviction against Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba (1 Feb. 2018)
  • Australia: Who or what should be blamed when a medical tragedy occurs? (ABC Radio National, 12 Feb. 2018)
  • Canada:Canadian doctors worry about U.K. punishment after child's death (6 Apr. 2018)
  • Canada: Should medical errors ever be considered criminal offences? (CMAJ News, 5 Apr. 2018)
  • NZ (NZRSA): Bawa-Garba “A wake-up call for Resident Doctors” (Feb. 2018)
  • USA (American Academy of Pediatrics - Section on Bioethics): : Editorial by Brenda Mears, chairperson(AAP Section on Bioethics Newsletter, Spring 2018)
• Bawa-Garba case: More UK physician views
  • 70% of GPs say writing reflective notes is unsafe following Bawa-Garba case (30 July 2018)
  • 'Anxiety, fear and mistrust' surround written reflection, says GP appraiser (30 July 2018)
  • In charts: What GPs say about written reflection (30 July 2018)
  • Sokol D: Reflections on Bawa-Garba - a symbol of the medical profession’s discontent. BMJ Opinion (31July 2018)
• Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba appeal hearing (Also see below - News items in advance of appeal)
  • Day 1 (25 July 2018)
  • Day 2 (26 July 2018) | Child's mother call for struck-off verdict to stand
  • #bawagarba (Twitter hashtag)
  • Background: Nicholl D. Bawa-Garba—From blame culture to just culture (BMJ blog, 6 April 2018)
• Scotland: Aberdeen mum’s poem is write stuff to boost number of blood donors (25 July 2018)
  • Gemma's poem (SNBTS)
• Scotland: Opening of Jack Copland Centre, new national HQ of the SNBTS in Edinburgh, highlights need for donors (21 July 2018) | Includes historical photos
• Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba case - Appeal at High Court 25 July 2018. (News items in advance of appeal)
  • What impact will the Bawa-Garba case have on community pharmacy? (3 July 2018) | Good summary of the case
  • Pharmacy risks ‘regression to blame culture’ after Bawa-Garba case (3 July 2018)
  • BMA annual meeting: Doctors call for public inquiry into GMC’s handling of Bawa-Garba case. BMJ 2018; 361(Pub. 27 June 2018)
  • British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) throw weight behind Bawa-Garba legal appeal (18 July 2018) | Crowdfunding page set up in January to raise money for an appeal in support of Dr Bawa-Garba raised more than £350,000.
  • BAPIO: 'If Dr Bawa-Garba was white she wouldn't have landed in such deep trouble.' (19 July 2018)
  • Police decide not to pursue charges against hospital over Bawa-Garba case (20 July 2018) | Comments are interesting [Note: Only 1 view of article without subscription]
• Probe will look at ‘cover up’ of NHS’ worst scandal (3 July 2018)
• NHSBT evaluates donor RBC quality after being dropped into sea and retrieved by naval ships (Donor magazine Summer 2018)
• B Positive – choir created by NHSBT to raise awareness of blood donation – reached the finals of Britain’s Got Talent (Donor magazine Summer 2018) | Be sure to catch the 2:42 video of their song
• Jersey plans to ensure blood transfusions are extended, if supplies from UK disrupted (5 June 2018)
• 'The Children Act' - Film about Jehovah's Witness boy refusing blood transfusion (1 June 2018 - 2:26 min. movie trailer)
• Jersey's Blood Donor Centre still closed after four months (23 May 2018)
• Gross negligence manslaughter review working group appointed (22 May 2018) Related:
  • Negligence - When does clinical become criminal? (18 May 2018)
  • Court of Appeal allows BMA to intervene in Bawa-Gaba case (11 May 2018)
  • GPs call for better support systems to report and reflect on errors after Bawa-Garba case (5 Mar. 2018)
• 9-year old left with 'catastrophic' brain damage when doctors' failed to do a timely exchange transfusion at birth for kernicterus wins record £19m NHS payout (1 May 2018)
• Blog series from nursing team at NHS Blood and Transplant (Nursing Times, 25 Apr. 2018) | See end of article for others in the series
• 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)

USA

• Gunshot victims require much more blood and are more likely to die than other trauma patients (17 Sept. 2018)
  • DeMario VM, Sikorski RA, Efron DT, Serbanescu MA, Buchanan RM, Wang EJ, et al. Blood utilization and mortality in victims of gun violence. Transfusion. 2018 Sep 12. [Epub ahead of print]
• 'I work 3 jobs and donate blood plasma to pay the bills.' This Is what it’s like to be a teacher in America (13 Sept. 2018)
• Trends and disparities in delivery hospitalizations involving severe maternal morbidity, 2006-2015. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2018 Sept.
  • Blood transfusions for women during childbirth rose 54% from 2006 to 2015;severe complications during delivery increased 45%.
• NY Blood Center hosts 95 blood drives to commemorate Sept. 11, 2001 attacks (6 Sept. 2018)
• Theranos: Scandal hit blood-testing firm to shut (5 Sept. 2018)
• Post-transfusion anaplasmosis case highlights need for vigilance in transfusions. (9 Aug. 2018)
  • Goel R, et al. Death from transfusion-transmitted anaplasmosis, New York, USA, 2017. Emerg Infect Dis. 2018 Aug; 24(8):1548-50. (Free full text)
• Immucor/OCD class action settlement: Blood Reagents Antitrust Litigation Website
• OCD's $19.5m deal to resolve litigation it conspired with Immucor to fix prices on blood test reagents gets initial okay (13 July 2018)
• State seizes newborn from ‘faith-healing’ Lansing couple whose baby died last year (30 July 2018) | Possible case of HDFN
• FDA: Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Babesiosis (Draft guidance July 2018)
• AABB - BPAC Meeting Summary (Topic I - 18 July 2018): Strategies to Control the Risk of Bacterial Contamination in Platelets for Transfusion
• Plasma during air transport may at risk for hemorrhagic shock (25 July 2018)
  • Sperry JL, Guyette FX, Brown JB, Yazer MH, Triulzi DJ, Early-Young BJ, et al.; PAMPer Study Group. Prehospital plasma during air medical transport in trauma patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock. N Engl J Med. 2018 Jul 26;379(4):315-26.
• Chagas Disease: A growing public health concern in USA (13 July 2018)
• CMS pulled plug on pay-for-performance pilot with Novartis for leukemia immunotherapy after questions surfaced on its payments to attorney Michael Cohen (9 July 2018)
• FDA: Important Information for Blood Establishments Regarding Brodifacoum Contamination of Synthetic Cannabinoids (29 June 2018) Background:
  • 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)
  • CDC: About synthetic cannabinoids
• LeBlanc TW, Litzow MR. Are transfusions a barrier to high-quality end-of-life care in hematology? The Hematologist July-August 2018;15(4). (EPub 3 July 2018)
• New airlift initiative saves lives in south Texas (29 June 2018) | Brothers in Arms
• Indictments in latest Theranos news a warning to technology startups ­ and labs (The Dark Report Insider, 26 June, 2018)
  • Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes charged with criminal fraud (15 June 2018)
• Booming global industry, human blood, and an Albany strip mall (26 June 2018) | Features Australia's CSL and interesting involvement of city council and planners. Two related links:
  • Blood plasma, sweat, and tears (1 Sept. 2015)
  • How plasma donors got stuck with prepaid card fees and why It matters (3 Nov. 2015)
• Many people at risk of contracting HIV are not screened annually (23 June 2018)
  • Pitasi MA, Delaney KP, Oraka E, Bradley H, DiNenno EA, Brooks JT, Prejean J. Interval since last HIV Test for Men and Women with Recent Risk for HIV Infection — United States, 2006-­2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018 Jun 22;67(24):677-81.
• Silicon Valley gets a reality transfusion (18 May 2018) | "The power of a seductive fairy tale to outpunch scientific skepticism temporarily gave the health-diagnostics firm a $9 billion value. Theranos was “vaporware....”
• FDA seeks to stop procedures at two unregulated stem cell clinics (9 May 2018)
• Testing for Zika virus in blood donors finds few infections - at a cost of about $5.3 million each (9 May 2018)
  • Saá P, Proctor M, Foster G, Krysztof D, Winton C, Linnen JM, et al. Investigational testing for Zika virus among U.S. blood donors. N Engl J Med 2018 May 10; 378:1778-88.
  • NEJM 'Quick Take' video (1:53)
• GOP governor candidate 'pokes' opponent for not disclosing stint as CEO of ITxM, sued by HCV+ man in early '90s (8 May 2018)
• Diabetic patient sues hospital for negligently administering a transfusion and causing necrotizing fasciitis (5 May 2018)
• Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) wants drones that are out for blood (3 May 2018)
• Springfield hospital admits transfusion patient received wrong blood type (26 Apr. 2018)
• 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)

Venezuela

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

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)