First up, I presented the National Comparative Audit of transfusion associated circulatory overload. There is more to TACO than perhaps meets the eye; good
review article here onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.11…
ISBT revised the definition of TACO in March 2019 (which remains a clinical diagnosis) - paper is here isbtweb.org/fileadmin/user…
Onset during or up to 12 hours after transfusion (SHOT up to 24h)
≥1 required criterion AND ≥3 criteria i.e. A and/or B, and total of at least 3 of A to E
Required criteria
A. Acute or worsening respiratory compromise
B. Evidence of acute or worsening pulmonary oedema 1/
Additional criteria
C. Cardiovascular system changes (htn, tachycardia, hypertension, pulm oedema)
D. Fluid overload (+ve fluid balance; clinical improvement following diuresis)
E. Positive biomarker (e.g. BNP or NT-pro BNP) 2/2
In the audit 89% of patients aged >60 had at least 1 additional risk factor for TACO. For such a common problem, there are very little data to support appropriate action to take in patients with risk factors.
Results of the NCA can be found here hospital.blood.co.uk/audits/nationa…
Suffice to say, we could do better at assessing risk, monitoring and treating appropriately!
I had a personal request to do a tweetorial for the #haemSpRs on haemovigilance. Here goes. A #blooducation 🧵
Haemovigilance is a systematic surveillance of adverse reactions and adverse events related to transfusion’ with the aim of improving transfusion safety. transfusionguidelines.org/transfusion-ha…
We are very lucky in the UK to have @SHOTHV1, one of the first in the world to collate adverse events relating to transfusion - since the 1990s.
This morning I met with the chair and vice chair of the Midlands Regional Transfusion Committee, the Midlands Patient Blood Management Practitioner and the Customer Services Manager. What are their roles and what does the RTC do?
A #blooducation 🧵
RTCs serve to bring together Hospital Transfusion Committees to discuss best practice, implement new guidance and provide educational resources and events. They are run by clinicians and scientists working in hospitals, supported by @NHSBT.
Teaching our incoming haematology doctors today about transfusion in haematology patients. So who needs irradiated blood and why? A #blooducation🧵
All blood in the UK is leucocyte reduced (except granulocytes, but that’s another story). Despite this, a unit of red cells or platelets can have around a million residual white cells, mostly lymphocytes.
Every doctor starting in a new trust does transfusion training as part of their mandatory training. But why?
50ml ABO incompatible blood can kill a patient. ABO antibodies are naturally occurring (“everyone” has them) and they are IgM; they can activate complement and cause *immediate* intravascular haemolysis, causing release of free haem, endothelial activation, renal failure and DIC.
In most hospitals, blood banks require 2 samples (one may be historic) before releasing group specific (non-O) blood for a patient. This is to increase the chances of identifying a *wrong blood in tube* (pt whose blood's in the tube is not the pt whose details are on the outside)
It can be difficult to know where to start with transfusion – you can’t go on a ward round to find patients. BUT you do start with lab induction and your helpful #BMSes will show you around.
Excellent session on emergency paediatric transfusion #AABB20. Cyril Jacquot talking on pre hospital transfusion and summarising the literature.
28 day mortality following haemorrhage is higher in children than adults (unpublished data and substudies from PROPPR and PROMMTT)
Observational studies of large numbers of patients but with only very small numbers of paediatric patients suggest that pre hospital blood is not associated with an excess of transfusion reactions and in some studies is thought to have improved survival.
Whole blood, group O, high titre neg, used in paediatrics in Pittsburgh appears to be safe with no haemolysin-mediated haemoylsis in non group O patients (Leeper et al JAMA Pediatrics 2018) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…