What's New - Chronological (December 2019)

Also see What's new by topic | What's new - Archives

• BC PBCO
• NEW TraQ's November newsletter

12 December

• Fresh red blood cell transfusions do not help critically ill children more than older cells (10 Dec. 2019)
  • Spinella PC, Tucci M, Fergusson DA, Lacroix J, Hébert PC, Leteurtre S, et al.; ABC-PICU Investigators, the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators Network, the BloodNet Pediatric Critical Care Blood Research Network, and the Groupe Francophone de Réanimation et Urgences P. Effect of fresh vs standard-issue red blood cell transfusions on multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in critically ill pediatric patients: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2019 Dec 10; 322(22):2179-90.
• India: More than half of those surveyed say they'd refuse organ donation from LGBTQ person (11 Nov. 2019) | Study also reveals that many Indians don’t donate organs because they’re worried they’ll be reborn without these vital parts in their next life
• NZ: NZBS contacting group AB plasma donors to help replenish stocks following Whakaari/White Island eruption (12 Dec. 2019)
• South Africa: Two mothers successfully sue health department (2 Dec. 2019)
• USA: Illinois wildlife Clinic performs blood transfusion from owl to duck (11 Nov. 2019)
• Industry news (Sanofi): Sutimlimab – a first-in-class selective inhibitor of complement C1s – has hit the mark in cold agglutinin disease (11 Dec. 2019)
  • LBA-2 Inhibition of Complement C1s with Sutimlimab in Patients with Cold Agglutinin Disease (CAD): Results from the Phase 3 Cardinal Study (ASH meeting, 10 Dec. 2019)
• Biswas TK, Sujon H, Rahman MH, Perry HB, Chowdhury ME. Quality of maternal and newborn healthcare services in two public hospitals of Bangladesh: identifying gaps and provisions for improvement. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019 Dec 10;19(1):488. (Free full text)
• Meybohm P, Straub N, Füllenbach C, Judd L, Kleinerüschkamp A, Taeuber I, et al. Health economics of Patient Blood Management: a cost-benefit analysis based on a meta-analysis. Vox Sang. 2019 Dec 10. [Epub ahead of print]
• Visser GHA, Di Renzo GC, Spitalnik SL; FIGO Committee Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health. The continuing burden of Rh disease 50 years after the introduction of anti-Rh(D) immunoglobin prophylaxis: call to action. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Sep;221(3):227.e1-227.e4. Epub 2019 May 20.

9 December

• Kenya: Address blood shortage to curb maternal deaths, KOGS tells State (6 Dec. 2019)
• Nigeria: Lawyer who became broadcast journalist wants to prevent Nigerians from bleeding to death (5 Dec. 2019)
• South Africa: Interview with SANBS CEO, Jonathan Louw (6 Dec. 2019)
• UK (Infected Blood Inquiry): Ex-Royal Free patient Nicola Jones in fight for support decades after hep C infection (5 Dec. 2019)
• USA: ‘In this case, stability is not good’: HIV incidence at a standstill (3 Dec. 2019)
• USA: Transcript of CDC telebriefing - Vital Signs HIV (3 Dec. 2019)
  • Harris NS, Johnson AS, Huang YA, et al. Vital Signs: Status of Human Immunodeficiency Virus testing, viral suppression, and HIV preexposure prophylaxis — United States, 2013–2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019;68:1117–13.
• USA: New study funded by NIH to test effectiveness of tranexamic acid to stop bleeding in children (3 Dec. 2019)
• USA: Joint letter from AABB, ABC, ARC to CMS to revise status indicator to enable immediate billing for newly approved blood products and technologies (2 Dec. 2019)
• USA: ARC to offer $5 Amazon gift cards to entice donors over holiday season (3 Dec. 2019)
• USA: Government (HHS) sues Gilead over patent for HIV PrEP (7 Nov. 2019)
• Zimbabwe: Blood transfusion price raised to RTGS $2160 (~$6 USD) (3 Dec. 2019)
• Industry news (Sweden): Sobi^TM to present data from studies with avatrombopag for treating thrombocytopenia at ASH meeting (5 Dec. 2019)
• Fox B, Hockley J, Studholme L. The British Standard for (European Conformity[CE] Marked) Anti-D: Its rarely discussed but important role in quantitating anti-D in patient plasma. Transfus Med. 2019 Nov 26. [Epub ahead of print] (Open access)
• Kasraian L, Hosseini S, Dehbidi S, Ashkani-Esfahani S. Return rate in blood donors: A 7-year follow up.Transfus Med. 2019 Nov 28. [Epub ahead of print]
• Leitch S, Charlewood R. Paraprotein implicated in hardware failures in nucleic acid testing of blood donors. Vox Sang. 2019 Nov 27. [Epub ahead of print]
• * O'Brien SF, Grégoire Y, Pillonel J, Steele WR, Custer B, Davison KL, et al. HIV residual risk in Canada under a three-month deferral for men who have sex with men. Vox Sang. 2019 Nov 27. [Epub ahead of print]
• Scott SS, Henneman EA, Nathanson BH, Andrzejewski C Jr, Gonzalez M, Walker R, Martinez VI. Use of a transfusion checklist by student nurses to improve patient safety. J Nurses Prof Dev. 2019 Dec 3. [Epub ahead of print]

2 December

• UK (Infected Blood Inquiry): Audio and video of media interviews and House of Commons speeches (courtesy of Campaign TB)
• Journals - Transfus Med Hemother 2019 Oct; 46(5): Many open access articles including
  • Bachofner A, Rüfli T, Holbro A, Hustinx H, Crottet SL, Escedi M, et al. The remarkable journey of a low-frequency alloantibody. Transfus Med Hemother 2019 Oct; 46(5):386-7.
  • Fürsta D, Peter Bugert P. Spotlight on HLA: current aspects in transfusion and transplantation medicine. (Editorial) Transfus Med Hemother 2019 Oct; 46(5):309-10.
  • Smith D, Aye T, Er LS, Nester T, Delaney M. Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction due to anti-P₁: a case report and review of institutional experience. Transfus Med Hemother 2019 Oct; 46(5):381-4.

1 December

• TM blog: I can see clearly now (Musings on using artificial intelligence in transfusion medicine)