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Category Archives: Blood Management Best Practices
To predonate or not to predonate, that is the question
Last’s week’s Journal of the American Medical Association included a clinical crossroads case study on autologous predonation (1). The scenario was a relatively healthy, non-anemic woman (“Mrs. C”) who was scheduled for elective knee replacement surgery and was asking for … Continue reading
Iron: It’s Not Just for Hemoglobin
Iron deficiency is common – very common. Estimates of the prevalence of iron deficiency in the U.S. vary depending on the age of the population studied and co-morbidities. In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) iron deficiency … Continue reading
Untangling transfusion, patient safety, and biologic product deviations
by Dr. Carolyn Burns, Medical Director, Transfusion Services, Strategic Healthcare Group LLC The July supplement to Transfusion, the Journal of Blood Services Management, contains an excellent and quite provocative article surrounding the knowledge of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) … Continue reading
The Joint Commission Blood Management Performance Measures
Editor’s note (TH): This month’s guest contributor is Harriet Gammon, who works for The Joint Commission’s Division of Quality Measurement and Research. Ms. Gammon is a nurse who is a passionate advocate of quality patient care, and she has played a … Continue reading
A Washed Cell is a Happy Cell
I recall fondly a button that my early blood management mentor, Dr. Paul Potter, used to wear on his lab coat with that particular saying. Dr. Potter was a staff anesthesiologist at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, and he … Continue reading
Proactive Vs. Reactive Patient Care: Preoperative Anemia Management
Submitted by: Joseph Thomas, BSN, RN | Vice President, Clinical Systems, Strategic Healthcare Group, LLC Preoperative preparation and planning are essential for the safe and optimal management of surgical patients. This principal applies to the management of preoperative anemia in … Continue reading
Pediatric Blood Conservation a Global Concern
Of the 14 million units of packed red blood cells administered to 4.8 million patients in the United States every year, approximately 1 percent is administered to pediatric patients. Although a small number when compared to adult transfusions, this still … Continue reading
