transfusion

Question 1

what type of process is transfusion

Answer 1

a regulated process

Question 2

what are examples of regulatory bodies for blood safety

Answer 2

• blood safety quality regulations
• UK transfusion laboratory collaborative

Question 3

what does blood tracking allow

Answer 3

allows electronic tracking and vein to vein audits of blood components

Question 4

what happens in blood tracking

Answer 4

• can trace cold chain adherence
• all temperatures can be recorded by temperature monitoring systems
• real time updates that updates the hospital’s lims records for a specific patient
• reduced human interaction so less human error
• records kept for 30 years

Question 5

what happened if you were living in the UK in 1980-1996

Answer 5

couldn’t donate blood

Question 6

what happened if you were born after 01/01/96

Answer 6

received non-UK plasma products

Question 7

what is the purpose of donor selection

Answer 7

• to protect the donor from harm
• to protect the recipient from any ill effects of the transfusion

Question 8

what must the donors be to be selected for the blood transfusion

Answer 8

• fit and healthy
• have to weigh 50-158kg
• aged 17-66
• if they’re over 70 they have to have had given blood 2 years prior

Question 9

what do donors have to complete before a blood transfusion

Answer 9

a screening questionnaire relating to health, lifestyle, travel history etc. so we can ensure the safety of the donor and recipient

Question 10

what are the clinical donor restrictions

Answer 10

• their haemoglobin levels before donating blood for females has to be 125g/l and for males has to be 135g/l
• they can be asked to donate approx 470ml of whole blood (no more than 13% of circulating blood)
• needs an interval of 16 weeks before donating again

Question 11

what can happen if donor gives too much blood

Answer 11

• can become anaemic (iron deficiency anaemia) (iatrogenic- accidental injury by a healthcare professional)
• vasovagal reactions like fainting

Question 12

what are the clinical donor restrictions for medication and conditions

Answer 12

as there are carryover effects on the recipients they have to consider:
- if they take medication
- if waiting for surgery as can’t be anaemic before surgery
- diabetes as it could affect glucose control
- if engaged in high risk activity eg, sexual, drug use

Question 13

what can patients that have had a transfusion not do

Answer 13

give blood donations for life

Question 14

what is a risk of a blood transfusion to a recipient

Answer 14

transmitted infections

Question 15

what are transmissible infections characterised by

Answer 15

chronic and persistent infection

Question 16

what type of infections are all donations screened for

Answer 16

• HIV1, HIV2
• treponema palladium (syphilis)
• HTLV1, HTLV2
• HBV

Question 17

what types of infections can be optionally tested for

Answer 17

• malaria, west nile virus
• cytomegalovirus
• trypanosoma cruzi (chagas disease)

Question 18

what is the variant creutzfeldt-jakob disease

Answer 18

• the disease causing agent is a PRION (type of protein)
• when humans eat infected meat they’re exposed to the disease, they then show symptoms = decades
• it can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, person to person by medical products

Question 19

how many units of imported plasma were issued in UK

Answer 19

110,000

Question 20

what is leucodeplation

Answer 20

reduces the transmission of variant creutzfeldt-jakob disease

Question 21

how does leucodepletion work

Answer 21

it removes white blood cells from the blood as white blood cells are infectious in people that have vCJD. this is done by a filter which attracts WBC (due to charge) to the surface to be removed.

Question 22

what is Tranfusion associated graft versus host disease

Answer 22

A condition where the lymphocytes in the donor blood attack the recipients tissues such as skin, GI tract and bone marrow which can lead to death

Question 23

what does FFP stand for

Answer 23

fresh frozen plasma

Question 24

what happens in a NHS blood and transplant

Answer 24

they provide blood components and tissue for transplantation.
eg, of blood components: platelets, RBCs, FFP, granulocytes, cryoprecipitate
eg, of transplantation: stem cell transplants, solid organ tissues, tissue bank (eye services)

Question 25

what occurs in whole blood processing

Answer 25

when the blood is donated it’s hung and filtered to remove WBC and platelets. the blood then goes into a centrifuge and is separated into RBCs and plasma. the plasma is further divided into platelets and FFP. cryoprecipitate is made from FFP

Question 26

when are RBCs given

Answer 26

when bleeding and when have high haemoglobin levels

Question 27

when are platelets given

Answer 27

when bleeding and if have low platelet count

Question 28

what is FFP

Answer 28

stands for fresh frozen plasma and contains clotting proteins and plasma. its given when bleeding occurs

Question 29

what is cryoprecipitate

Answer 29

it has clotting proteins and is given when severe bleeding occurs

Question 30

describe the transfusion of red cells

Answer 30

• they’re stored at a temp of 2-6* (if deviates from this then have to throw away) and have a shelf life of approx 35 days
  -there’s approx 300ml of red cells per unit, leucodepleted SAGM, 1 unit of red cells increases haemoglobin by 10g/l
• can’t use after 23:59 of expiry date

Question 31

why is FFP frozen

Answer 31

so the clotting factors are still active. as when frozen they can’t clot

Question 32

what is donation number

Answer 32

allows traceability

Question 33

what does it mean if the letter (A,B,AB,O) on the bag is coloured in

Answer 33

means its RhD positive

Question 34

what does it mean if the letter (A, B, AB,O) on the bag is not coloured in

Answer 34

means that it’s RhD negative

Question 35

describe the transfusion of platelets

Answer 35

• ## they are stored at a temp of 20-24* and have to stay agitated, also have a shelf life of 5-7 days.