Hospital Newsletter
Events and updates
CBS/ORBCoN 15th Annual Transfusion Medicine Education Videoconference Symposium: Patients are not all the same – Promoting patient centred transfusion care
Oct. 30, 2020 | Virtual conference
ABO subgroups in blood donated red blood cells
ABO subgroups in blood donated red blood cells (PDF)
To help our hospital colleagues better understand Canadian Blood Services’ processes associated with donors who fall in an ABO subgroup, we have published information on our professional education website on this topic.
Sometimes we detect such donors during our routine testing, and sometimes our automated testing procedures do not identify such donors as a subgroup, but they are instead identified by hospital customers during their ABO confirmation processes for received red blood cells.
The content covers:
- ABO subgroups background.
- Canadian Blood Services testing process and investigation.
- Steps for hospitals who identify a possible ABO subgroup.
- Affirmation that hospitals can use such units as labeled and intended.
For more detail visit our professional education website.
To read more articles, please visit the BloodNotes section of blood.ca
Improving RBC Utilization
Improving RBC Utilization (PDF)
As shared in customer letter 2020-40, Canadian Blood Services is collaborating with Choosing Wisely Canada in support of a pan-Canadian initiative to reduce the unnecessary transfusion of red blood cells.
Entitled Using Blood Wisely, the intention of this campaign is to challenge hospitals to benchmark themselves on appropriate transfusion practices. The focus will be on single unit RBC transfusions and RBC transfusions that have a pre-transfusion hemoglobin of 80 g/L or less.
Hospitals that choose to participate will be invited to conduct a spot audit of recent red blood cell transfusions in their hospital to see how they compare to national appropriateness benchmarks.
All hospitals that meet these benchmarks will be designated a “Using Blood Wisely Hospital” by Choosing Wisely Canada and Canadian Blood Services. More information will be available through your regional blood office and provincial/territorial Choosing Wisely Canada offices.
To read more articles, please visit the BloodNotes section of blood.ca
Securing Canada’s supply of plasma
Securing Canada’s supply of plasma (PDF)
On August 25, Canadian Blood Services welcomed the first donors to our new dedicated plasma donor centre in Sudbury — a historic moment we were able to capture on video.
The new centre is the first of three designed to secure Canada's supply of donated plasma, along with the medicines made from plasma used to treat a growing number of illnesses. Two more plasma donor centres — one in Lethbridge, Alberta and one in Kelowna, B.C. will open within the next year.
Demand for plasma-derived medications is rapidly increasing, as they are used to effectively treat a number of immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders, cancers, and kidney and liver diseases. Increasing the amount of plasma collected from voluntary donors in Canada helps to secure a domestic supply of plasma for those medications.
First to donate at the new centre in Sudbury were the mother and grandmother of nine-year old Heydan Morrison, who relies on medication made from donated plasma to stay healthy.
Learn more on blood.ca/stories.
To read more articles, please visit the BloodNotes section of blood.ca
Fundraiser and cancer survivor turns his passion for cycling into a lifeline for patients
Fundraiser and cancer survivor turns his passion for cycling into a lifeline for patients (PDF)
While many people’s most vivid childhood memories often involve birthday parties or the first day of school, Neill Spencer’s clearest flashbacks are of blood donation clinics and sugary snacks.
As a kid, Neill accompanied his father to his blood donation appointments and always imagined that when he was old enough, he would become a blood donor himself. Soon after meeting the age requirements for blood donation, Neill was diagnosed with leukemia. Instead of being able to give the gift of life, Neill now had to rely on blood products to survive.
Given the impact that blood products have had on his own life, Neill had long wanted to be able to give back. He decided to launch a fundraising campaign that would pair his passion for cycling with his drive to help patients in need of blood products.
Averaging about 30–60km per ride on his bike — and having raised more than $2,000 just halfway through his challenge — Neill is well on his way to meeting his goal of $3,200 by this month.
Head over to blood.ca/stories to learn more about Neill’s story.
To read more articles, please visit the BloodNotes section of blood.ca