Hematology Times
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Blood BankingHRE protocol reduces need for transfusion
Bags of blood for transfusion
Credit: Elise Amendola A single, high-dose of recombinant human erythropoietin (HRE) given 2 days prior to surgery can correct anemia and reduce the need for blood transfusions, according to a study presented at 93rd AATS Annual Meeting. Previous research has shown that HRE can offset anemia prior to surgery. But protocols tend to require that HRE be given many days, even weeks, before surgery. And dosing schedules are often complicated. Practically, patients often do not have that much time for preparation. [Read Article] FDA approves product to reverse anticoagulation
Fresh frozen plasma
The FDA has approved a new plasma product for the urgent reversal of vitamin K antagonist (VKA) anticoagulation in adults with acute major bleeding. The product—called human prothrombin complex concentrate (Kcentra)—is made from the pooled plasma of healthy donors. It contains 4 vitamin K-dependent factors: factor II (prothrombin), factor VII, factor IX, and factor X, as well as antithrombotic proteins C and S. Actual plasma is the only other product approved . . . [Read Article] Blood test can detect infection faster, study suggests
The T2Candida system
Credit: T2 Biosystems A new blood test can detect fungal infections caused by Candida in just a few hours, a small study suggests. At present, Candida is difficult to detect in the blood. It requires finding just a few fungal cells among millions of other cells. The gold standard for detecting this yeast species is a blood culture, but that usually takes days. Now, Lori Neely, PhD, of T2 Biosystems in Lexington, Massachusetts, and her colleagues have developed a blood test that can detect a number of . . . [Read Article] Mystery of rare blood type solved
Blood for transfusion
Credit: Elise Amendola More than 60 years after researchers described the first patient with Vel-negative blood, a group of investigators has identified the protein behind this rare blood type. Reporting in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the team explained how they identified the elusive protein—called small integral membrane protein 1 (SMIM1)—and finally solved the “vexing” mystery. In the early 1950s, a 66-year-old woman with colon cancer experienced a severe rejection of a blood transfusion. [Read Article] Older RBCs can impair blood vessel function
Blood for transfusion
Credit: Juan D. Alfonso Transfusing red blood cells (RBCs) that are more than 3 weeks old can result in impaired blood vessel function, according to a study presented at the 2013 American College of Cardiology Scientific Session. Previous studies have suggested that transfusing blood stored for more than a few weeks may have adverse effects in patients undergoing cardiac surgery or critical care. The new study provides a possible explanation: a deficiency in nitric oxide. [Read Article] |
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