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.

Research supports world blood donor day message on blood safety

Other countries could learn from the mistakes made in UK blood policy concludes research awarded by the Economic and Social Research Council's Michael Young Prize.

13 Jun 2009

Women with heavy periods may have an undiagnosed bleeding disorder

According to researchers in the United States many women suffer from bleeding disorders, but are unaware they have one because doctors are not looking for the condition.

3 Jun 2009

Bleeding disorders going undiagnosed; new guidelines to help

Nearly one percent of the population suffers from bleeding disorders, yet many women don't know they have one because doctors aren't looking for the condition, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

2 Jun 2009

Hospital refuses admission to young adults with thalassemia and sickle cell disease

Young adults with thalassemia and sickle cell diease have been trying for up to 10 years to gain admission to the only adult hospital program in central and southwestern Toronto specialized to treat their blood disorders. Since 1999, the Toronto General Hospital (TGH) has restricted the inherited blood disorders program to 99 patients requiring blood transfusions. As a result, about 150 young adults with complex disorders receive blood transfusions at the Hospital for Sick Children but no adult services.

25 May 2009

Blood transfusions after cardiac surgery may be unnecessary

Blood transfusions carried out after cardiac surgery could be unnecessary and might cause health complications for patients.

15 Apr 2009

Screening to help prevent stroke in kids increases, but limited access a problem

The number of children with a certain blood disorder undergoing an ultrasound to help prevent stroke is up significantly in the past 10 years since the publication of a major study showing its benefits.

13 Apr 2009

New blood fights cancer

"New blood" can revitalize a company or a sports team. Recent research by Tel Aviv University finds that young blood does a body good as well, especially when it comes to fighting cancer.

1 Jan 2009

Evaluation of treatments for benign prostatic enlargement

Research published by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has found that transurethral resection, the most common operation for benign prostatic enlargement (BPE), remains a clinically and cost-effective treatment. BPE commonly causes older men to have difficulty passing urine and may require surgery to alleviate the problem.

18 Dec 2008

New Web-based tool for tracking blood safety

The Georgia Tech College of Computing, working in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has developed a Web-based tool for tracking blood safety.

10 Dec 2008

Study identifies characteristics of hospitals with low rates of surgical site infections

New research published in the December issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS) suggests that surgical procedures that are shorter in duration and the use of fewer blood transfusions characterize hospitals that have a lower incidence of surgical site infections (SSI).

8 Dec 2008

Routine HIV screening for all patients recommended

On World AIDS Day, the American College of Physicians (ACP) is giving doctors a call-to-action to routinely encourage HIV screening to all of their patients older than 13 years.

1 Dec 2008

Blood transfusions increase clot risk in hospitalized cancer patients

Blood transfusions used to treat anemia in patients with cancer are associated with an increased risk of life-threatening blood clots, at a similar rate as other treatments for cancer-induced anemia, according to scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

24 Nov 2008

Sri Lankan health official says strong family bonds, values responsible for low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in country

Supportive family values and strong family bonds, in addition to the practice of monogamy, have contributed to the low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Sri Lanka, Health Care and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said recently at the second Asia Pacific Regional Meeting on universal access to HIV prevention in the Philippines, Sri Lanka's Daily News reports.

2 Sep 2008

Advances in cell therapy bring cure for diabetes step closer

Affecting eight percent of America's population, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, strokes and heart disease. Thanks to Tel Aviv University researchers, a new cure -- based on advances in cell therapy -- may be within reach.

2 Sep 2008

Safety of antithrombotic treatment in acute coronary syndromes

The management of acute coronary syndromes (with or without ST segment elevation) requires the use of anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents (aspirin, clopidogrel and/or glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors), beta-blockers, thrombolytics in some cases, and revascularization / reperfusion.

2 Sep 2008

Study points to one cause of higher rates of transplanted kidney rejection in blacks

A Johns Hopkins research team reports it may have an explanation for at least some of the higher organ rejection rates seen among black - as compared to white - kidney transplant recipients.

31 Aug 2008

Precisely targeted radiation therapy can control limited cancer spread

Precisely targeted radiation therapy can eradicate all evidence of disease in selected patients with cancer that has spread to only a few sites, suggests the first published report from an ongoing clinical trial.

12 Aug 2008

Technological crystal ball boosts AIDS survival

A cure for the virus that causes AIDS may still be beyond our grasp, but European researchers have developed a predictive software system for HIV that could help extend the lives of victims of the killer disease.

11 Aug 2008

Robotic surgery now benefits bladder cancer patients

Robotic surgery, largely pioneered for prostate cancer surgery, is rapidly being adapted for use in other areas, including for bladder cancer patients. Urologic surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center now have significant experience -- and have demonstrated considerable success -- with robotics for removal of the bladder, also known as cystectomy.

30 Jul 2008

New Filton Blood Centre to open in July

When the new Filton Blood Centre opens on 8th July, the National Blood Service will be pleased to name it a centre of excellence and the largest blood processing centre in the world.

4 Jun 2008