Faculty: Peter Tomasulo, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Blood Systems, Inc.

Event Description: In this program, faculty will review data regarding donor reactions and classify them by donor characteristics. It will focus on the donor's blood volume and 500 mL collections and the connections between age, gender and blood volume on donor reactions. Using the characteristics reviewed by the presenter, one organization's eligibility requirements to reduce donor reactions will be shared.

Faculty: Teresa Harris, MT(ASCP)SBB, CQIA, CQA(ASQ), Manager, Immunohematology Reference Laboratory, NY-Penn/NEPA, American Red Cross; Laurie Delia, MT(ASCP)SBB, Manager, Immunohematology Reference Laboratory, NY-Penn/NEPA; Yolanda Sanchez, MT(ASCP)SBB, Consultation Supervisor, Education Coordinator and Instructor, Clinical Laboratory Science Program, Rush University Medical Center; Ann Viernes, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Blood Bank Supervisor, Rush University Medical Center.

Event Description: In the present-day blood bank laboratory, we are surrounded by options with testing methods. Commonly used testing methods may include tube, gel, and red cell solid phase testing. Testing may be performed by manual methods or by automated methods, and a blood bank laboratory may use multiple methods when problem-solving. This case studies presentation is intended to cover the multiple methods that are in widespread use. By presenting separate cases that highlight the use of varied methods, participants will be able to evaluate and understand the potential strengths and pitfalls of each method in regards to specificity and sensitivity in addition to improving overall serologic problem-solving skills.

Faculty: Susan Churchill, BS, Recruitment Coordinator, Mayo Clinic Donor Center

Event Description: Blood centers strive to create a feeling of faithfulness or allegiance to the blood center's mission of saving lives by developing strategies designed to build donor relations and encouraging them to become lifetime partners. There are several strategies available to blood centers: donor incentives, donor recognition efforts and donor loyalty programs. Is there a difference between incentives, recognition and loyalty programs? Don't loyalty programs include incentives and recognition? What is driving the move away from incentives and recognition to more three dimensional loyalty programs, and is this switch in strategy effective? This audioconference will address the differences in these approaches to increase donor participation and present the impact of each on donor frequency rates.

Faculty: Kathryn Petershagen, MT(ASCP)SBB, Blood Bank Supervisor, University of Texas Medical Branch; Daniel Madrigal, BSMT(ASCP)SBB, Quality Assurance Supervisor, University of Texas Medical Branch

Event Description: Case studies will be presented to stimulate a question and answer session regarding AABB assessments and CAP inspections. Through an interactive process, program faculty will provide a review of the AABB and CAP accreditation processes. Participants are encouraged to share their strategies and suggestions for managing unannounced inspections.

Faculty: Anne Eder, MD, PhD, Executive Medical Officer, American Red Cross; Louis Katz, MD, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs, Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center

Event Description: Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) has been recognized as the leading reported cause of death in both male and female transfusion recipients. Associated with plasma-containing blood components, TRALI is thought to be the result of white blood cell antibodies in donors in which active granulocytes in the recipient's lungs cause pulmonary edema. AABB recommended that blood collecting facilities should implement interventions to minimize the preparation of plasma components from donors known to be leukocyte-alloimmunized or at increased risk of leukocyte alloimmunization. In addition, blood transfusion facilities were encouraged to implement appropriate evidence-based hemotherapy practices to minimize unnecessary transfusions. Monitoring of reported TRALI incidences as well as TRALI-related mortality was recommended for both the blood collection and transfusion facilities. These measures were to be implemented by November 2007 for whole blood and plasma components, and measures relating to platelet products were to be implemented in November 2009. Faculty will review the current status of TRALI, mitigation strategies and outcomes of those strategies.

Faculty: William B. Lockwood, PhD, MD, Director, Transfusion Services and Tissue/Bone Bank, University of Louisville Hospital

Event Description: Payment for blood and related services is subject to a complex array of difficult to understand coding and billing policies. The AABB Billing Guide for Transfusion and Cellular Therapies offers clear and concise explanations. In this program, attendees will be walked through the latest version of this guide. New coding and billing rules for blood products and related services will be explained. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about transfusion medicine billing issues.

Faculty: Brian Custer, PhD, Assistant Investigator, Blood Systems Research Institute

Event Description: Data is power and contributes to knowledge, yet we surprise ourselves at the volume of data collected and more often are baffled at how to interpret the meaning of the data. Research and process improvement needs data, but if the objectives are not established before the collection, often the wrong parameters are collected. This leads to frustrations and delays. Analysis of data and turning that analysis into meaning is critical. This audioconference will identify the key to turning data into knowledge.

Faculty: Lynne Briggs, BS, MA, Director, IT Applications, BloodCenter of Wisconsin; Frank Nizzi, MD, Medical Director of Technical Services, Carter BloodCare; Ralf Knels, MD, Vice Medical Director, Leader
Manufacturing and Qualified Person, Institute Dresden, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service East, Chair, Eurocode International Blood Labeling System e.V., Chair, RFID Task Force, ISBT-Working Party "Information Technology"

Event Description: Transfusion safety is the number one concern for clinicians and laboratory professionals when patients are transfused. Blood transfusions are given to improve a patient's clinical conditions. Positively identifying the patient before, during and after transfusion is necessary for ensuring the right product is given to its intended recipient. This session will explore all aspects of providing a safe transfusion to a patient with the use of positive patient ID.

Event Description: This audioconference will cover blood transfusion recipient adverse reactions as defined in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Biovigilance Component Protocol. Although these definitions were developed by the AABB Hemovigilance Working Group for NHSN participants, they can be used by any transfusion service interested in using standard definitions. The program will apply adverse reaction criteria (definitions) to actual case examples. Some of the reactions that will be discussed include TRALI, TACO, Transfusion Associated Graft vs. Host Disease, hemolytic reactions, allergic reactions and infections.

Faculty: Brenda Barnes, MSEd, MT(ASCP)SBB, Transfusion Safety Officer, The Methodist Hospital; Chris LeVeque, MD, Medical Director, Blood Bank at Methodist Hospital

Event Description: Current transfusion therapy guidelines rely, in part, on hematology tests such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). However, what do all of these tests actually measure, and what do the results mean? After a basic review of the different tests conducted in hematology, the indications for blood products will be presented. Cases will be used to illustrate the concepts.

Faculty: Louis M. Katz, MD, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs, Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center; Brian Custer, PhD, Assistant Investigator, Blood Systems Research Institute

Event Description: What diseases represent an emerging threat to the blood supply? This audioconference will review several potential threats including babesiosis, dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya. The speakers will review current and future options for screening diseases and the impact of potential loss of donors. Session faculty and participants also will look at the benefits, the public health impact and the costs associated with these diseases.

Faculty: Larry J. Dumont, PhD, Director, Cell Labeling Laboratory, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center; Judi Miller, BSc, RGN, DPSN, VP Medical Affairs, Octapharma USA, Inc

Event Description: Plasma components are a vital piece of transfusion practice for patients today. As we continue to make safer products for patients through donor testing, we also continue to find new ways to produce the best product for the patient. This session will look at new plasma components for transfusion from production to distribution and finally administration. The faculty will explore the issues associated with 5-day platelets, 7-day platelets, solvent detergent plasma, products manufactured from plasma and the types of patients and spectrum and diversity of diseases/conditions treated with plasma derived products.

Faculty: Susan Johnson, MSTM, MT(ASCP)SBB, Director, BloodCenter of Wisconsin; LeeAnn Prihoda, MEd, MT(ASCP)SBB, Manager, Reference Laboratory, American Red Cross - Southern Region

Event Description: Case studies will be presented to stimulate a question and answer program regarding challenging serological scenarios. Through an interactive process, this program will address the similarities and characteristics of common serological testing problems encountered in the blood bank laboratory. Audience members are encouraged to share their strategies and suggestions for solving serological testing complications presented through a case history format.

Faculty: Beth Hartwell, MD Medical Director, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center; Jayanna Slayten, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, IRL Manager, SBB Program Education Coordinator, Indiana Blood Center

Event Description: After reviewing the challenges of the D antigen for the donor and patient, the speakers will present the ways some facilities handle these situations. Problems for the physician, donor, patient, and hospital transfusion service will be discussed, and suggested solutions will be described.

Faculty: Samir Ballas, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Director, Sickle Cell Center, Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Deborah Sesok-Pizzini, MD, MBA, Medical Director, Blood Bank, University of Pennsylvania; Sandra Nance, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Sr. Director, IRL, BioMedical Services, American Red Cross Blood Services

Event Description: Chronic red cell transfusion plays an important role in the therapy of specific patient populations; those with insufficient erythropoiesis, stem cell disorders or thalassemic conditions and those with chronic hemolysis from hemoglobinopathies. Indications for chronic transfusion in these diverse populations are well defined for both children and adults, and will be reviewed in this audioconference. Chronic transfusion programs require many considerations not usually a part of acute transfusion practice: transfusion hemosiderosis, the long-term effects of red cell alloimmunization, consideration of "phenotype matching" and management of rare inventories, and the risk benefit of erythrocyte apheresis, to mention a few. The speakers will address these issues, along with the objectives of chronic transfusion in sickle cell disorders which differ from those for other patients. The role that alloimmunization to red cell antigens has in autoantibody formation and the increased hemolysis in sickle cell disease also will be addressed.

Faculty: Ed Mansfield, JD, Belin Lamson McCormick Zumbach Flynn, PC, General Counsel, America's Blood Centers; Diane Killion, JD, Staff Counsel, AAB

Event Description: Blood centers and transfusion services operate in an environment where it is increasingly difficult to both strike a balance between the safety of donors and patients and manage the legal risks associated with operating those facilitates. Consequently, it is important for professionals to keep up with the latest legal developments. This audioconference will cover current legal issues relating to blood donations and transfusion.

Faculty: Commander Charles C.M. Lelkens, MD, Commanding Officer and Medical Director, Military Blood Bank, The Netherlands; Jeremy Perkins, MD, FACP, Chief, Hematology-Oncology Clinic, Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Event Description: Throughout history, the experiences and challenges of treating the wounded on the battlefield have been a stimulus for advances in medicine. The field of transfusion medicine and component therapy has been the recipient of much experience, much based on necessity in the battlefield. Data driven indications for use of fresh whole blood (FWB) in trauma are unknown. Currently there are no randomized trials comparing whole blood to component therapy in the setting of trauma. FWB use is limited in the U.S., although the military routinely utilizes FWB in the setting of massive transfusion as both a source of platelets and other factors when large quantities of blood are required. Drawing from battlefield experience, the speakers of this audioconference will discuss challenges and strategies used in the battlefield. Discussion will include the use of component therapy, whole blood, and frozen blood in controlling hemostasis and maintaining oxygen delivery to the tissues in the wounded military and civilian patients.

Faculty: Thomas H. Price, MD, Medical Director, Puget Sound Blood Center; Thomas H. Carson, MD, Transfusion Service Medical Director, Children’s Hospital New Orleans; Debra Kessler, RN, MS, Director, Regional Services, New York Blood Center; Patrick W. Ooley, MS, MT(ASCP), CQA(ASQ)

Event Description: Introducing the 26th edition of Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services. The speakers will summarize the new and revised requirements incorporated into the 26th edition of Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services. In addition, the rationale for the changes will be reviewed.

Faculty: Connie Westoff, MT(ASCP)SBB, PhD, Scientific Director, Molecular Blood Group and Platelet Antigen Testing, American Red Cross

Event Description: The evolution of molecular typing has given the industry new perspectives on the incidence and distribution of the individual antigens within the blood group systems. This program will describe the structure and function of molecules that carry red cell antigens and share what is being uncovered relative to the incidence of variants in different populations. The impact of mutations on the structure of known blood group antigens and implications for the practice of transfusion medicine will be discussed.