Blood Transfusion News and Research

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Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood or blood-based products from one person into the circulatory system of another. Blood transfusions can be life-saving in some situations, such as massive blood loss due to trauma, or can be used to replace blood lost during surgery.

New blood treatment technology could reduce malaria risk following blood transfusions

Patients, especially children, who undergo blood transfusions in sub-Saharan Africa are at high risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria. A new trial, published in The Lancet today, suggests that treating donated blood with a new technology that combines UV radiation and vitamin B is safe and could minimise the risk of malaria infection following blood transfusions.

26 Apr 2016

Analysis reveals improved survivorship for acute liver failure patients

More patients hospitalized with acute liver failure - often the result of acetaminophen overdose - are surviving, including those who receive a liver transplant and those who don't, an analysis led by a UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher showed.

5 Apr 2016

Increased use of PNBs in hip and knee arthroplasty could improve medical outcomes

The use of peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) is associated with better medical and economic outcomes in patients receiving hip and knee replacement, according to research being presented at the 41st Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting later this month.

24 Mar 2016

LivaNova announces first implantation of Perceval sutureless valve in U.S.

LivaNova, PLC (the “Company”), a global medical technology company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced the first U.S. implantation of the Perceval valve, the sutureless biological aortic replacement valve.

9 Mar 2016

Johns Hopkins experts provide useful information to help prevent transmission of Zika virus

With Zika virus emerging as a public health concern worldwide, experts at The Johns Hopkins Hospital are closely monitoring the spread of the mosquito-borne illness and offering useful information to help prevent transmission.

16 Feb 2016

NHS Blood and Transplant now offers more detailed blood testing for patients with haemoglobinopathies

Patients with blood disorders can now get detailed blood group typing to enable better matched and potentially safer transfusions.

25 Jan 2016

A Thai man with Zika virus has been hospitalized in Taiwan

A man from Thailand has been hospitalized in Taiwan after having arrived there infected with Zika virus, an agent thought to be associated with brain-damaging birth defects in infants.

21 Jan 2016

New study outlines risk for in-hospital and out-of-hospital births in Oregon

The out-of-hospital birth setting in Oregon was associated with a higher risk of perinatal death, while the in-hospital birth setting was associated with a higher risk for cesarean delivery and other obstetric interventions (e.g., induction or augmentation of labor), according a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.

31 Dec 2015

TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital passes JCI and HIMSS Stage 7 assessment

On December 12, 2015, TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital (TEDA) was validated by HIMSS Analytics with the Stage 7 Award, making it the first hospital in China which has passed JCI and HIMSS Stage 7 assessment at the same time.

24 Dec 2015

FDA updates blood donor deferral recommendations to help ensure continued safety of blood supply

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued final guidance outlining updated blood donor deferral recommendations to reflect the most current scientific evidence and to help ensure continued safety of the blood supply by reducing the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission by blood and blood products.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists find effective antiviral mechanisms to inhibit chikungunya virus

Scientists looking at the antiviral mechanisms of two previously identified human monoclonal antibodies have found they potently inhibit chikungunya virus (CHIKV) at multiple stages of infection.

11 Dec 2015

Experimental gene therapy may improve health outcomes for patients with some forms of blood disorders

New research adds to a growing body of evidence that gene therapy, an experimental technique that involves correcting or replacing a person's mutated or malfunctioning genes, may improve health outcomes for patients with inherited bleeding and immune disorders as well as some forms of blood cancer.

7 Dec 2015

New combination approach to eradicate established tumors

A laboratory study conducted at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands has found that immunotherapy can be efficiently combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) to eradicate established tumors. The approach results in strong local tumor destruction and a robust systemic immune response against the disease.

27 Nov 2015

FDA grants accelerated approval for Darzalex to treat patients with multiple myeloma

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for Darzalex (daratumumab) to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior treatments. Darzalex is the first monoclonal antibody approved for treating multiple myeloma.

17 Nov 2015

Lab experiment leads researchers to major red blood cell discovery

A bizarre result of a routine lab experiment has led researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine to an unexpected new way to trigger the production of red blood cells. This could represent a significant step forward in the battle against anemia, benefitting people with diabetes, people with kidney disease or cancer, and older people for whom anemia can become a chronic problem.

3 Nov 2015

New study shows electronic tracking system helps lower blood transfusions and infection rates

An electronic system that monitors how physicians give blood to patients after an operation has enabled a 22-hospital system with thousands of doctors to significantly reduce the amount of blood transfusions patients receive, cutting costs by $2.5 million over two years and contributing to lower infection rates without harming patients, according to a study presented at the 2015 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

8 Oct 2015

Sorin Group initiates PERSIST-AVR trial to evaluate Perceval sutureless aortic valve against standard sutured bioprostheses

Sorin Group, a global medical device company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, today announced the initiation of PERSIST-AVR, the first international, prospective, post-market randomized multi-center trial evaluating the Perceval sutureless aortic valve compared to standard sutured bioprostheses in patients with aortic valve disease.

7 Oct 2015

New review presents patient blood management program to tackle anemia and blood transfusion in surgery patients

Anemia is common, and in surgical patients can increase various risks associated with operations. While blood transfusion can be a lifesaver for patients in these situations, it may not be always be appropriate and can even increase risks.

9 Sep 2015

TXA drug reduces blood transfusion, saves costs

Using an inexpensive drug for every hip or knee replacement since 2013 has helped St. Michael's Hospital reduce its number of red blood cell transfusions performed during these surgeries by more than 40 per cent without negatively affecting patients, according to new research.

4 Sep 2015

UC Santa Barbara neuroscientists uncover mechanism of Alzheimer's progression

Medical research has yet to discover an Alzheimer's treatment that effectively slows the disease's progression, but neuroscientists at UC Santa Barbara may have uncovered a mechanism by which onset can be delayed by as much as 10 years.

2 Sep 2015