Registrations are now open for iTransfuse: Transfusion Update 2010

The program for this year’s Transfusion Update conference is taking shape. A preliminary program for TU10 is up on our website www.transfusion.com.au and will be updated regularly as we confirm speakers and topics.

The venue for this year’s conference is the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) at Federation Square, in the centre of Melbourne.

Registrations are now open, and accommodation deals on offer for hotels close to the venue have been tailored to suit allowances.
 

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service currently performs infectious disease screening using a combination of serological methods for HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV and syphilis, and nucleic acid testing (NAT) for HIV-1 and HCV.

In 2010, the Blood Service is replacing the current semi-automated NAT system and duplex assay (Procleix HIV-1/HCV Assay) with a fully automated testing system (Procleix Tigris) and a new triplex assay for the simultaneous detection of HIV-1 RNA, HCV RNA and HBV DNA (Procleix Ultrio Assay).

The Blood Service will be introducing uniform individual donation testing in all five of our NAT sites. This is now possible due to the high level of automation offered by the new testing platform. This change is consistent with international best practice for NAT screening of blood donations, will significantly improve laboratory process control and will provide the opportunity to further improve the quality and safety of the Australian blood supply, benefiting both blood product recipients and blood donors.

From early September 2010, all red cells and platelets supplied by the Blood Service will have been tested for HBV DNA using the NAT triplex assay.

As frozen clinical plasma (i.e. fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate and cryodepleted plasma) have a longer shelf-life, management of these components during the transition period will be more complex. However, the Blood Service also aims to be able to supply only HBV NAT tested clinical plasma components from early September and is implementing a number of strategies to facilitate this.

Approved Health Providers (AHPs) are advised to review their current inventory holdings of clinical plasma components, as well as their inventory management practices, to enable a more rapid turnover of product during the transition period.

It is recommended that AHPs hold a maximum of two months' supply of clinical plasma in the lead-up to the commencement of HBV NAT testing. It should be noted that the Blood Service inventory holdings of clinical plasma will be increased during this period to compensate for the reduced AHP stock holdings.

There will be changes to external services agreements for clients who order NAT testing from the Blood Service. Our Research and Development department looks after these contracts and will be making contact with you as we move closer to making the change.

If you have any questions about the changes to NAT testing and the safety of products, please speak to your local TMS team.
 

The arrangements for imported intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in Australia have changed, with Lateral Grifols now holding the National Blood Authority (NBA) contract for Direct Orders for imported IVIg.

The Lateral Grifols product, Flebogamma, has replaced Sandoglobulin as the imported product which may be made available under the Direct Order arrangement (formerly known as the Jurisdictional Direct Order (JDO) arrangement) for recipients of IVIg who fall outside of the Criteria for the clinical use of IVIg in Australia.

Where a clinician has requested Sandoglobulin because there is a genuine intolerance to Flebogamma, or for the purpose of transition of the patient to Flebogamma, the Blood Service may request approval from the National Blood Authority for Sandoglobulin. CSL will make their remaining Australian stock of Sandoglobulin available for these purposes until it runs out.

Flebogamma 5% DIF is a third generation IVIg product, available in five presentation sizes: 0.5g/10mL, 2.5g/50mL, 5g/100mL, 10g/200mL and 20g/400mL. The product must be stored at below 30°C and has a shelf life of two years.

If you have any questions about the change in product and arrangements for Direct Orders of IVIg, please contact your local TMS team. A Fact Sheet detailing the NBA contractual arrangements for the supply of imported IVIg is available on the NBA website at http://www.nba.gov.au/pubs/factsheets-imported-ivig.html.
 

Transfusion August 2009 Supplement - Fact Sheets on Emerging Infectious Disease Agents
http://www.aabb.org/Content/About_Blood/
Emerging_Infectious_Disease_Agents/appendix2.htm

Ranucci M et al. Duration of red blood cell storage and outcomes in paediatric cardiac surgery: an association found for pump prime blood. Critical Care 2009, 13:R207 (21 December 2009).
http://ccforum.com/content/pdf/cc8217.pdf

Cheng CK et al. Comprehensive survey of red blood cell unit life cycle at a large teaching institution in eastern Canada. Transfusion 2010; 50(1): 160 – 165.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122599782/abstract

Damiani G et al. Appropriateness of fresh-frozen plasma usage in hospital settings: a meta-analysis of the impact of organizational interventions. Transfusion 2010; 50(1):139 – 144.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122581530/abstract

Triulzi D J. Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury: Current Concepts for the Clinician. Anesth Analg 2009; 108: 770 –6.http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/content/abstract/108/3/770
 

Patient Blood Management public consultation

The National Blood Authority (NBA) expects the Critical Bleeding Guidelines to be completed and available on its website www.nba.gov.au for public consultation in March 2010.

The Peri-operative Guidelines are anticipated to be finalised in mid 2010. Public consultation commencement dates will be announced on the NBA website.

The consultation process is central to achieving the best possible outcome for these guidelines and your participation is very strongly recommended.

If you would like to receive updates from the NBA on the progress of the Guidelines, please register at their site or contact guidelines@nba.gov.au

Submit your feedback on the ANZSBT irradiation guidelines

ANZSBT is calling for feedback on the draft revision of the Guidelines for Irradiation of Blood Components. The Guidelines can be viewed now at www.anzsbt.org.au/news/index.cfm. Feedback should be forwarded to irradiation@anzsbt.org.au by the closing date, Friday 26 February 2010.

IVIg criteria review

The Criteria for the Clinical Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) in Australia were introduced almost two years ago, in March 2008. The triennial review process has now commenced.

Formal submissions for the review were called for in December last year, with a deadline of 26 February 2010.

Once a systematic review of the evidence has been completed and consensus reached by the National IVIg Criteria Review Working Group (NICRWG), a public consultation process will be conducted on the proposed changes. It is expected this will commence in July 2010.

For more information about this process, please contact the NBA by email at ivigcriteria@nba.gov.au

12th International Haemovigilance Seminar
17 - 19 February, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Pathology Update 2010
26 - 28 February, Melbourne, Australia

iTransfuse: Transfusion Update 2010
19 - 21 May, Melbourne, Australia