Patricia M. Carey

The effect of previous pregnancy and transfusion on HLA alloimmunization in blood donors: implications for a transfusion-related acute lung injury risk reduction strategy

BACKGROUND: Antibodies to human leukocyte antigens (HLA) in donated blood have been implicated as a cause of transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI). A potential measure to reduce the risk of TRALI includes screening plateletpheresis donors for HLA antibodies. The prevalence of HLA antibodies and their relationship to previous transfusion or pregnancy in blood donors was determined.

Making thawed universal donor plasma available rapidly for massively bleeding trauma patients: experience from the Pragmatic, Randomized Optimal Platelets and Plasma Ratios (PROPPR) trial

The Pragmatic, Randomized Optimal Platelets and Plasma Ratios (PROPPR) trial was a randomized clinical trial comparing survival after transfusion of two different blood component ratios for emergency resuscitation of traumatic massive hemorrhage. Transfusion services supporting the study were expected to provide thawed plasma, platelets, and red blood cells within 10 minutes of request.

Prevalence of HLA antibodies in remotely transfused or alloexposed volunteer blood donors

BACKGROUND: HLA antibody testing of previously transfused or pregnant donors may help reduce the risk of transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI). However, the prevalence of HLA antibodies in transfused donors has not been well characterized.

Minority and foreign-born representation among US blood donors: demographics and donation frequency for 2006

BACKGROUND: Historically, minority populations have represented only a small proportion of US blood donors, but recent trends in immigration and potential blood shortages emphasize the need for recruitment strategies to increase minority donations.

The difference between fingerstick and venous hemoglobin and hematocrit varies by sex and iron stores

BACKGROUND: Fingerstick blood samples are used to estimate donor venous hemoglobin (Hb).

Ticlopidine-, clopidogrel-, and prasugrel-associated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: A 20-year review from the southern network on adverse reactions (SONAR)

Thienopyridine-derivatives (ticlopidine, clopidogrel, and prasugrel) are the primary antiplatelet agents. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare drug-associated syndrome, with the thienopyridines being the most common drugs implicated in this syndrome. We reviewed 20 years of information on clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory findings for thienopyridine-associated TTP. Four, 11, and 11 cases of thienopyridine-associated TTP were reported in the first year of marketing of ticlopidine (1989), clopidogrel (1998), and prasugrel (2010), respectively. As of 2011, the FDA received reports of 97 ticlopidine-, 197 clopidogrel-, and 14 prasugrel-associated TTP cases. Severe deficiency of ADAMTS-13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13) was present in 80% and antibodies to 100% of these TTP patients on ticlopidine, 0% of the patients with clopidogrel-associated TTP (p < 0.05), and an unknown percentage of patients with prasugrel-associated TTP. TTP is associated with use of each of the three thienopyridines, although the mechanistic pathways may differ.

Prevention of bedside errors in transfusion medicine (PROBE-TM) study: a cluster-randomized, matched-paired clinical areas trial of a simple intervention to reduce errors in the pretransfusion bedside check

BACKGROUND: Transfusion of the incorrect blood component is a frequent serious incident associated with transfusion and often involves misidentification of the patient and/or the unit of blood. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a simple intervention designed to improve performance of the bedside check and to observe the durability of any effect. The intervention was a tag on blood bags reminding staff to check the patients wristband. The tag was positioned in such a way that the transfusionist was required to remove the tag to spike the unit.

Does early initiation of therapeutic plasma exchange improve outcome in pediatric stem cell transplant–associated thrombotic microangiopathy?

BACKGROUND: The use of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant–associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA‐TMA) is controversial because the exact mechanism of injury in TA‐TMA is not yet understood.

Laboratory variables for assessing iron deficiency in REDS-II Iron Status Evaluation (RISE) blood donors

Iron deficiency is common in regular blood donors. We evaluated the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of red blood cell (RBC) hematology analyzer indices to assess iron status as a part of donor management.

The Leukocyte Antibody Prevalence Study-II (LAPS-II): A retrospective cohort study of transfusion-related acute lung injury in recipients of high-plasma-volume human leukocyte antigen antibody-positive or -negative components

BACKGROUND: We used a multicenter retrospective cohort study design to evaluate whether human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibody donor screening would reduce the risk of transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI) or possible TRALI.