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.

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

Restrictive policies for blood transfusions could produce significant cost savings for NHS

Changing clinical thresholds for the single leading reason for blood transfusions could safely produce significant savings for the NHS, according to NHS Blood and Transplant research published in The Lancet tomorrow.

10 Jul 2015

Scoring system may help hospitals better prepare for surges in trauma cases

A scoring system that can identify periods of high activity and increased trauma patient deaths in hospital emergency rooms may help hospitals better prepare for surges in trauma patient volume that come with catastrophic events like the Boston Marathon bombing (April 2013) or disasters like the Amtrak train crash (May 2015) in Philadelphia.

30 Jun 2015

New research draws on support from patients and public to investigate impact of cardiac surgery

A University of Leicester-based research group funded by the British Heart Foundation is drawing on support from patients and members of the public to investigate why cardiac surgery can often result in serious or fatal damage to other organs in the body.

3 Jun 2015

American Red Cross launches its first Giving Day on June 2

The American Red Cross is launching its first Giving Day on June 2. The 24-hour national campaign will support the work the Red Cross does each and every day to help hundreds of thousands of people across the country and around the world.

1 Jun 2015

MRI more accurate, safe and less painful than liver biopsy in measuring total body iron balance

Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have demonstrated that MR imaging of the liver is more accurate than liver biopsy in determining total body iron balance in patients with sickle cell disease and other disorders requiring blood transfusion therapy.

20 Mar 2015

Clinical trial examines uncertainty about when to give blood transfusions after cardiac surgery

New research has shown that patients having heart surgery do not benefit if doctors wait until a patient has become substantially anaemic before giving a transfusion.

12 Mar 2015

Blood tests in heart surgery patients can lead to anemia, blood transfusions

Laboratory testing among patients undergoing cardiac surgery can lead to excessive bloodletting, which can increase the risk of developing hospital-acquired anemia and the need for blood transfusion, according to an article in the March 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

2 Mar 2015

NICE recommends transurethral resection in saline system as the new gold standard for transurethral resection of the prostate

New guidance has been released today by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommending Olympus Medical’s transurethral resection in saline (TURis) system for use in surgery to reduce the size of enlarged prostate glands in men. NICE published the guidance in light of the potential it offers NHS hospitals to realise substantial cost savings of £285-£375 per patient whilst also improving patient outcomes.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 27 Feb 2015

Study compares two different methods of blood transfusion in trauma care

The University of Maryland School of Medicine is part of a new nationwide, multi-site study that may help save hundreds of lives among trauma patients with major bleeding. The study, which was published earlier this month in JAMA, compared two different methods of blood transfusion, and found that one approach gave patients a significantly better chance of survival within the first 24 hours.

20 Feb 2015

Study shows in-flight blood transfusions improve outcomes in trauma victims

Air-lifted trauma victims who received blood transfusions in the helicopter before arriving at a trauma center had higher one-day survival rates and less chance of shock than air-lifted patients who did not receive blood transfusions until they arrived at the trauma unit, according to study findings published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

16 Feb 2015