Volume 50, Issue 8 pp. 1743-1748
TRANSFUSION PRACTICE

Practices associated with ABO-incompatible platelet transfusions: a BEST Collaborative international survey

Miguel Lozano

Miguel Lozano

From the Hospital Clinic, Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Blood Service, Cambridge, UK; Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, Washington; and the Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

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Nancy Heddle

Nancy Heddle

From the Hospital Clinic, Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Blood Service, Cambridge, UK; Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, Washington; and the Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

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Lorna M Williamson

Lorna M Williamson

From the Hospital Clinic, Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Blood Service, Cambridge, UK; Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, Washington; and the Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

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Grace Wang

Grace Wang

From the Hospital Clinic, Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Blood Service, Cambridge, UK; Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, Washington; and the Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

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James P. AuBuchon

James P. AuBuchon

From the Hospital Clinic, Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Blood Service, Cambridge, UK; Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, Washington; and the Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

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Larry J. Dumont

Larry J. Dumont

From the Hospital Clinic, Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Blood Service, Cambridge, UK; Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, Washington; and the Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

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for the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative

for the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative

From the Hospital Clinic, Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; the Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Blood Service, Cambridge, UK; Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, Washington; and the Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

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First published: 02 August 2010
Citations: 31
Dr Miguel Lozano, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; e-mail: [email protected].

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence for guiding the best strategy for ABO selection of platelet (PLT) transfusions. As a baseline for future studies, the BEST Collaborative performed an international survey of current practices in this area.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: An international survey was sent via BEST members to transfusion services and hospitals requesting the demographics of the transfused patient population, ABO matching policies, anti-A and anti-B measurements in PLT concentrates (PCs), and practices regarding ABO-incompatible PC transfusions to adult and pediatric patients.

RESULTS: We received 126 responses from 14 countries, 59% from Europe. Most of them were from local/community (42%) and university hospitals (39%) serving between 500 and 1500 beds; 50.4% transfused fewer than 1000 PCs per year. One-fifth of respondents (19.4%, mainly local/community hospitals) did not have a written policy for selecting ABO-incompatible PCs. Significant practice variation was reported when ABO-mismatched PLTs were given to adults: for PCs suspended in 100% plasma, 29% to 43% of respondents selected any ABO group available; 52% to 61% selected units with compatible supernatant; and, in the case of minor ABO incompatibility, 43% to 54% did not take any specific action. In contrast if ABO-identical PCs were not available for a pediatric recipient, for PCs resuspended in 100% plasma, 71% to 82% selected PCs so the supernatant plasma would be compatible with patient's red blood cells.

CONCLUSION: Considerable practice variation exists when transfusing ABO-incompatible PCs, suggesting an opportunity for research to inform evidence-based practices.

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