Transfusion Medicine Reviews RSS feed: Current Issue. Transfusion Medicine Reviews delivers authoritative reviews of important advances in the basic science and clinical aspects of transfusion medicine -- ranging from blood products to blood banking and laboratory medicine. Each issue offers information that is useful to hematologists, nurses, technicians and other scientific personnel involved in the provision of blood products.http://www.tmreviews.com/?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Transfusion Medicine Reviews0887-7963242April 2010 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796310000064/abstract?rss=yesMasthead10.1016/S0887-7963(10)00006-4Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5IFCIFChttp://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796309001199/abstract?rss=yesAfter reviewing the relative frequency of the causes of allogeneic blood transfusion-related mortality in the United States today, we present 6 possible strategies for further reducing such transfusion-related mortality. These are (1) avoidance of unnecessary transfusions through the use of evidence-based transfusion guidelines, to reduce potentially fatal (infectious as well as noninfectious) transfusion complications; (2) reduction in the risk of transfusion-related acute lung injury in recipients of platelet transfusions through the use of single-donor platelets collected from male donors, or female donors without a history of pregnancy or who have been shown not to have white blood cell (WBC) antibodies; (3) prevention of hemolytic transfusion reactions through the augmentation of patient identification procedures by the addition of information technologies, as well as through the prevention of additional red blood cell alloantibody formation in patients who are likely to need multiple transfusions in the future; (4) avoidance of pooled blood products (such as pooled whole blood–derived platelets) to reduce the risk of transmission of emerging transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) and the residual risk from known TTIs (especially transfusion-associated sepsis [TAS]); (5) WBC reduction of cellular blood components administered in cardiac surgery to prevent the poorly understood increased mortality seen in cardiac surgery patients in association with the receipt of non–WBC-reduced (compared with WBC-reduced) transfusion; and (6) pathogen reduction of platelet and plasma components to prevent the transfusion transmission of most emerging, potentially fatal TTIs and the residual risk of known TTIs (especially TAS).Blood Still Kills: Six Strategies to Further Reduce Allogeneic Blood Transfusion-Related MortalityEleftherios C. Vamvakas, Morris A. Blajchman10.1016/j.tmrv.2009.11.001Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-577124http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796309001217/abstract?rss=yesBecause most extremely preterm infants with birth weight less than 1000 g need red blood cell transfusions, many attempts have been made to collect, process, and store placental blood (ie, umbilical cord blood) for autologous transfusions. Although it is feasible to do this, multiple problems in doing so including insufficient volumes collected, clotting, hemolysis, bacterial contamination, failure to significantly supplant need for allogeneic transfusions, and high costs have led many to question whether, on balance, autologous/placental red blood cell transfusion offers clinically significant benefits.Is There a Role for Autologous/Placental Red Blood Cell Transfusions in the Anemia of Prematurity?Ronald G. Strauss, John A. Widness10.1016/j.tmrv.2009.11.003Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5125129http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796309001229/abstract?rss=yesLeukapheresis is the method of choice to collect monocytes for dendritic cell (DC) culture. Improvement of cell separators and cell collection software have enabled the collection of 109 monocytes for the generation of monocyte-derived DCs, which is sufficient to prepare a DC vaccine series. However, leukapheresis works with the technique of differential centrifugation which is not applicable to selectively collect mononuclear cells of similar density. After leukapheresis, thus, additional preparation steps are required to isolate and enrich the desired monocyte population. The cell isolation and cultivation techniques depend on the quality of the original leukocyte harvest due to the monocyte yield and the content of residual erythrocytes and platelets. Monocyte elutriation from the leukapheresis product shows a high monocyte recovery of 80%. However, only 30% of the isolated monocytes can be developed into mature DCs. The factors responsible for DC maturation and the development of different DC subsets are the subject of current research.Optimization of Leukocyte Collection and Monocyte Isolation for Dendritic Cell CultureErwin F. Strasser, Reinhold Eckstein10.1016/j.tmrv.2009.11.004Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5130139http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796309001230/abstract?rss=yesIn contrast to the white prevalence, the frequency of rhesus D (RhD) negativity in the Nigerian population ranges from less than 1% to about 6% in the different ethnic population groups across the country. Consequently, there is often a severe scarcity of RhD-negative blood in Nigeria, leading to undue delay in transfusing RhD-negative patients. This situation has led to the prolongation of hospital stays as well as increased morbidity and mortality in affected patients. The problem is compounded by the general unavailability of donor RhD-negative blood, which is partially related to a suboptimal national blood transfusion service. This situation has thus relegated the responsibilities of donor recruitment and blood collection to individual hospital blood banks. This has led to the necessity of finding a variety of ways to mitigate the daunting problem of the provision of RhD-negative donor blood in Nigeria. In this article, we review the roles, advantages, and disadvantages of various methods including the use of autologous donations, Du testing, inter–blood bank transfers, voluntary RhD-negative donor recall, family donations, and cryopreservation to ameliorate the problem. The real need is nonetheless to optimize the functional capacity of the Nigerian National Blood Transfusion Service.A Strategic Approach to the Problems of Providing Rhesus D–Negative Blood Transfusion in Geographic Areas With Low RhD Negativity: A Nigerian PerspectiveSagir G. Ahmed10.1016/j.tmrv.2009.11.005Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5140146http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796309001242/abstract?rss=yesArnault Tzanck's name is attached to an apparatus he invented that was widely used for transfusing blood in France between the wars, as well a simple test he devised using the microscopic analysis of scrapings from skin cancer lesions, different ganglia, and some forms of dermatitis especially pemphigus. The Tzanck smear is still widely used as a test for herpes, among other diseases. He also experimented with different methods of preserving blood and blood substitutes. Tzanck's most lasting contribution was in the organization of blood transfusion in France that eventually resulted in the creation of the Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine (National Blood Transfusion Center), which was established in 1949 with Tzanck as its first director. In the process, Tzanck educated a whole generation of serologists and immunologists, including Jean Dausset, Marcel Bessis, and Jean Pierre Soulier.Arnault Tzanck, MD (1886-1954)William H. Schneider10.1016/j.tmrv.2009.11.006Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5Pioneers and Pathfinders147150http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796309001254/abstract?rss=yesThe degree of attention surrounding the pandemic of a new strain of influenza virus (H1N1) has posed major crisis management problems to health care workers worldwide. In the Kansai region of Japan, the number of blood donors has fallen by approximately 40%. This drop in blood donations has been due to an increase in the number of people unwilling to leave their homes as a result of being exposed to and the possible spread of this new strain of influenza. The World Health Organization predicted that the number of blood donors would decrease by 25% in the event of a widespread H1N1 virus outbreak, but the decrease in blood donation in Japan far exceeded this figure. This fact has fulfilled the previously predicted concern that blood transfusions could be significantly impaired in the event of a new strain influenza pandemic. The impact on the availability of platelet transfusions has been particularly severe. This is because inventory adjustments are difficult because platelets are stored at room temperature and therefore can only be kept for a storage period of 4 days (the usual storage period for platelets used in Japan). If platelet transfusions cannot be provided, the treatment of patients with malignant tumors would become significantly limited.The Usefulness of Pathogen Inactivation During an Outbreak of the New Strain of Influenza (H1N1)Hiroto Narimatsu, Koichiro Yuji, Shigetaka Shimodaira, Masahiro Kami10.1016/j.tmrv.2009.12.001Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5Letter to the Editor151152http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796310000027/abstract?rss=yesJournal ClubRichard Haspel, Jeannie Callum, Sunny Dzik10.1016/j.tmrv.2010.01.001Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5153162http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796310000076/abstract?rss=yesEditorial Board10.1016/S0887-7963(10)00007-6Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5FrontmatterA1A1http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS0887796310000088/abstract?rss=yesWill Publish in Future Issues . . .10.1016/S0887-7963(10)00008-8Transfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5FrontmatterA2A4http://www.tmreviews.com/article/PIIS088779631000009X/abstract?rss=yesContents10.1016/S0887-7963(10)00009-XTransfusion Medicine Reviews 24, 2 (2010)2010-04-01Transfusion Medicine Reviews2010-04-01242S0887-7963(10)X0002-5FrontmatterA5A5