- ABO discrepancies and RhD variants
- Blood group systems
- Clinically significant red cell, neutrophil, and platelet antibodies and disease
- Pathophysiology of adverse transfusion reactions
- Patterns of inheritance of blood group systems
- Principles of pretransfusion testing
- Adverse transfusion reactions
- Critical bleeding
- Informed consent for transfusion
- Major haemorrhage protocols
- Mandatory specimen labelling and request form requirements for pretransfusion testing
- Principles of patient blood management, including evidence-based transfusion thresholds
- Obstetric transfusion, including:
- fetal / neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia
- fetal / neonatal transfusion, including:
- exchange transfusion
- intrauterine transfusion
- top-up transfusions
- haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn
- patients who refuse to consent to blood components and products
- patients with critical bleeding requiring large volume transfusion
resuscitation
- patients with rare red cell antibodies requiring transfusion
- platelet transfusion refractoriness
- recommended monitoring of alloimmunised women during
pregnancy
- routine management of RhD-negative women during pregnancy
- Unique considerations for different patient cohorts undergoing
transfusion:
- patients receiving recurrent or frequent transfusions, including
haemoglobinopathies
- patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation
- patients with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia or receiving
monoclonal antibodies that interfere with pretransfusion testing,
such as anti-CD38 and anti-CD47
Blood components
- Administration and monitoring requirements for patients undergoing
transfusion
- Fresh component modifications, including:
- apheresis versus whole blood donations, and low anti-A / B titre fresh components
- cytomegalovirus (CMV) seronegative donors
- human leukocyte antigens (HLA) compatible platelets
- hyperconcentrated red cell requirements
- immunoglobin A (IgA) deficient components
- irradiation requirements
- phenotype red cells
- washed fresh components
- Manufacture of blood components and products
- Storage and transport requirements for:
- fractionated products
- fresh and frozen blood components
Blood transfusions
- Comply with national guidelines and standards to ensure safe and
appropriate transfusion practice
- Decision to transfuse should be informed by evidence-based patient
blood management principles
- Liaison with national transfusion services for patients with complex
transfusion requirements:
- platelet refractoriness
- rare red cell antibodies
- severe adverse transfusion reactions reporting, such as:
- transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)
- transfusion-transmitted bacterial infection (TTBI)
- Patient blood management, including evidence-based transfusion
thresholds
- Recognise and manage adverse transfusion reactions
- Transfusion documentation, including:
- assessment of response to transfusion
- informed consent
- Recognise and report to local and/or national haemovigilance systems
Fractionated blood components
- Indication and administration requirements of fractionated products,
including:
- hyperimmune immunoglobulin:
- hepatitis B immunoglobulin
- plasma-derived clotting factors and albumin
- subcutaneous or intravenous immunoglobulin
- RhD immunoglobulin
- Assessment and documentation of outcomes of transfusion
- Follow-up of adverse transfusion reactions and events
- Haemovigilance reporting
- Function of the hospital transfusion committee
- Governance of the national blood supply
- Role of audit and quality improvement science in transfusion
