Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast
105 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 287 ratingsDr. Joe Chaffin from the "Blood Bank Guy" website takes his light-hearted approach to a transfusion medicine interview show, discussing essential topics with educational leaders. You'll smile, have fun, and never EVER stop learning!
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Episodes
103: Glaucomflecken! with Will and Kristin Flanary
August 11, 2023 10:21 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBDr. Will Flanary is an ophthalmologist and stand-up comic who moonlights as the hilarious “Dr. Glaucomflecken” on social media. The Glaucomflecken videos have earned him an enormous worldwide following, as he has gently parodied physicians of many specialties (including pathology). He and his wife Kristin (aka "Lady Glaucomflecken") join me to share their inspirational story, with NO blood bank learning whatsoever! Even so, you've gotta listen!
102CE: Learn to Speak "Reference Lab" with Jan Hamilton
June 23, 2023 09:10 - 58 minutes - 54.1 MBContinuing Education episode! Understanding reference lab techniques like adsorption, elution, and enzymes feels like learning a new language! Jan Hamilton is here with an incredible teaching interview to help you learn to speak “reference lab.” This episode is eligible for FREE CME and Continuing Certification credit for physicians and P.A.C.E. contact hours for laboratorians until June 22, 2025 through Transfusion News Continuing Education on Wiley Health Learning.
101CE: Look Before You Leap with Rich Haspel
May 05, 2023 09:00 - 53 minutes - 49.6 MBContinuing education episode! Advances in the practice of Transfusion Medicine happen regularly, and it can be difficult for both learners and those with more experience to keep up with the latest information. Further, many learners (and more “seasoned” types!) lack experience to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the evidence in the medical literature. Dr. Rich Haspel joins me to describe how to evaluate evidence in the medical literature, and to discuss his take on low-titer group O whol...
100CE: Pearls of Wisdom
March 29, 2023 09:03 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBCE episode! To celebrate the 100th episode of Blood Bank Guy Essentials, Dr. Chaffin invites multiple previous guests (plus one brand new one!) to share brief "Pearls of Wisdom" with you. Learners of every level are sure to find Transfusion Medicine tips and tools to help care for patients in better ways. Thanks to all who have listened to this podcast in the past 7 years! This episode is eligible for FREE CME and Continuing Certification credit for physicians and P.A.C.E. contact hours fo...
099: Rh Immune Globulin (Teaching Episode)
February 01, 2023 10:04 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBRh Immune Globulin prevents at-risk moms from making anti-D, but calculating proper dose can be challenging. In fact, numerous reports have suggested that we mess this up a lot! This episode is a teaching session with me and one of the pathology residents at Loma Linda University, Jessica Hudson. In it, I try to simplify the calculations and discuss some of the mechanics and details around the use of this amazingly effective medication.
098CE: "Simply REDS" with Steve Kleinman and Cassandra Josephson
July 18, 2022 08:54 - 56 minutes - 52.4 MBContinuing education episode! If a research project has been going on for over 30 years, you would think it's probably pretty good, right? Well, that's how long the REDS research project, sponsored by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has been breaking new ground in Transfusion Medicine. The two co-chairs of the fourth phase, REDS-IV-P, are here to explain why the best is yet to come! This episode is eligible for FREE CME and Continuing Certification credit for physi...
097CE: Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution (ANH) with Steve Frank
June 29, 2022 09:00 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBContinuing education episode! For decades, medical personnel have been aware of the technique of “Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution (ANH),” the collection of blood immediately before surgery followed by infusion near the end. Dr. Steve Frank and his colleagues in the Bloodless Medicine Program at Johns Hopkins believe ANH is an underutilized strategy. He joins the BBGuy Essentials Podcast to share the details of ANH, and show how other facilities can implement ANH as a part of their overall Pa...
096CE: Navigating Blood Shortages with Claudia Cohn
March 30, 2022 09:02 - 54 minutes - 50 MBContinuing education episode! Blood shortages happen, but the one associated with COVID-19 is unique (and severe!). AABB Chief Medical Officer Dr. Claudia Cohn explains why and gives practical survival tips. This episode is eligible for FREE CME and Continuing Certification credit for physicians and P.A.C.E. contact hours for laboratorians until March 29, 2024 through Transfusion News Continuing Education on Wiley Health Learning.
095CE: What is Liquid Plasma? with Chris Gresens
March 09, 2022 10:00 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBContinuing education episode! Plasma product names are confusing, but few are as misunderstood as Liquid Plasma. Dr. Chris Gresens explains why LP might be perfect for your transfusion service. This episode is eligible for FREE CME and Continuing Certification credit for physicians and P.A.C.E. contact hours for laboratorians until March 8, 2024 through Transfusion News Continuing Education on Wiley Health Learning.
094CE: Thalassemia Essentials with Sujit Sheth
March 02, 2022 10:00 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBContinuing education episode! When most United States-based healthcare providers think of a hemoglobinopathy, sickle cell disease is the first to come to mind. That is understandable, given how frequently that disease is present in the US. However, worldwide, the various forms of thalassemia are a MASSIVE problem. Dr. Sujit Sheth takes us through the details around this deadly global disease, and how transfusion professionals can aid in care of thalassemia patients. This episode is eligibl...
093CE: The Mighty MMA with Sandy Nance
October 13, 2021 09:02 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBContinuing education episode! Usually, red cell alloantibodies are simple (find an antibody, give antigen-negative blood), but occasionally, some of them don't follow the rules! "Antibodies of variable clinical significance" act differently in different patients, sometimes causing hemolysis and sometimes not. They can be very hard to manage, especially because almost all blood donors are incompatible. The Monocyte Monolayer Assay, developed by today's guest, Sandy Nance, and her colleagues a...
092: When Platelet Transfusion Might Not Be Wise with Ruchika Goel
October 06, 2021 09:00 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBPlatelets have been used to save the lives of patients with low platelet counts for decades. For the most part, they are considered a safe and effective means to correct the problem of a patient not having enough platelets of their own. Despite that, we have wondered for decades about whether or not platelets should be given to patients with certain diseases where their platelets are being removed from circulation, like ITP, TTP, and HIT. My guest in this episode, Dr. Ruchika Goel, looked at...
091: Wholly Whole Blood, the Sequel! with Mark Yazer
June 02, 2021 09:00 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBIn 2017, Dr. Mark Yazer appeared on this podcast to discuss the burgeoning interest in “Low-titer Group O Whole Blood (LTOWB)” for massive transfusions, particularly in trauma settings. Since then, more data and experience are available to guide the use of whole blood for trauma transfusion. Dr. Yazer updates us on the latest whole blood and incompatible plasma transfusion data, and clears up once and for all the "clear fluids" debate! Plus, there's some hockey trash talk...
090CE: RHD Genotyping; We Can do Better! with Sue Johnson
May 19, 2021 09:00 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBDespite guidance in a 2015 publication from international experts in immunohematology and transfusion medicine, many clinicians and laboratorians have yet to integrate RHD genotyping into routine practice when a patient’s RhD serologic typing is weaker than expected. In this interview, international immunohematology expert Sue Johnson shows us how we can do better! NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
089CE: The Transfused and the Breathless with Christine Cserti-Gazdewich
March 24, 2021 09:00 - 56 minutes - 52.6 MBTransfusion reactions that involve the heart and/or lungs, especially TACO and TRALI, are responsible for more transfusion deaths than any other entity. In this interview, Dr. Cserti-Gazdewich focuses on these two reactions and gives tips and strategies to identify, manage, and prevent them. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
088: Warm Autoantibody Best Practices with Alyssa Ziman and Meghan Delaney
January 27, 2021 10:16 - 55 minutes - 51.6 MBWarm autoantibodies have a well-deserved reputation as tough challenges, creating unfamiliar situations for both clinical and laboratory staff. I interviewed the authors of two recent papers that outlined best practices in this situation to gain some clarity and help!
087CE: Transfusion-transmitted Infections with Suchi Pandey
December 16, 2020 10:31 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBBlood transfusion is less likely to transmit infections today than ever. Through a combination of screening questions, donor testing, and direct treatment of blood products, the vast majority of opportunities for transfusion-transmitted infections are eliminated. In this learner-focused interview, Dr. Suchi Pandey from Stanford outlines current strategies to keep blood safe. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
086CE: Scary Stories from the Transfusion Service with Mark Fung and Jay Hudgins
October 30, 2020 09:11 - 55 minutes - 51.6 MBEvery now and then, the routine practice of Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine gets intimidating. A difficult patient situation arises here, an impossible choice looms there. What do you do when there are no easy answers? Drs Mark Fung and Jay Hudgins are expert Transfusion Medicine practitioners who have years of experience dealing with these “scary” situations! In this special Halloween 2020 episode, they are here to help learners with ideas on how to approach some seemingly impossible sit...
085CE: What to do When Everything is Incompatible with Jill Storry
June 17, 2020 09:33 - 54 minutes - 50.5 MBEvery now and then, when a transfusion service does a pretransfusion workup, they find that the patient's plasma is incompatible with EVERY other red cell! In other words, NOTHING is compatible! These situations are intimidating, and can lead to delays in transfusion. Dr. Jill Storry is an international immunohematology expert, and she shares practical tips for what to do and how to recognize the three main patterns of panagglutinins. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
084: COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma with Pampee Young and Ralph Vassallo
May 04, 2020 08:19 - 57 minutes - 53.3 MBSpecial episode! In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, does convalescent plasma from recovered patients offer fresh hope for those who are critically ill? The medical leaders of the two largest blood collectors in the US are here to help us work through the challenges and triumphs for COVID-19 convalescent plasma.
083CE: Building the Perfect Transfusion Committee with Carolyn Burns
April 27, 2020 09:00 - 54 minutes - 50.6 MBLet’s be honest: Some hospital transfusion committee meetings feel like a waste of time! However, Dr. Carolyn Burns thinks transfusion committees are not hopeless! In this interview, she outlines her practical steps for building the perfect transfusion committee. She discusses how to recruit members, how to find “champions,” what to discuss and analyze, and shares what she has observed in the most effective transfusion committees. Whether your facility is doing a great job already or you are...
082: COVID-19 and the Blood Supply with Louis Katz
March 17, 2020 05:33 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBIn this emergency episode, recorded on March 16, 2020, I discuss actions blood collectors and hospitals should be thinking of now to preserve the US blood supply, as well as a look at the global COVID-19 pandemic. We also briefly discuss convalescent plasma and its potential role.
081CE: Top Ten Changes in the NEW AABB Standards with Rich Gammon
March 11, 2020 08:43 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBThe 32nd edition of AABB Standards became effective in April 2020. Rich Gammon, Chair of the BBTS Standards Committee, is here with the Top 10 changes you need to know! From blood donors to recipients, these changes will keep you in touch with best practices in Transfusion Medicine, even if your facility is not AABB-accredited. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
080CE: Is This Donor "Safe?" with Mindy Goldman
February 27, 2020 10:12 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBThose who oversee blood collection organizations wrestle constantly with two questions: “How can I keep my blood donors safe?” and “How can I keep the recipients of the blood we are collecting safe?” These twin responsibilities shape decisions and policies in blood donor centers worldwide. Dr. Mindy Goldman, Medical Director at Canadian Blood Services (CBS), is deeply involved in the evaluation of those core questions. As a result, I wanted her to describe Canada’s decisions on two big issue...
079: Pioneering Pathogen Reduction with Ray Goodrich
January 30, 2020 10:41 - 54 minutes - 50.5 MBWith the FDA's 2019 publication of their Final Guidance on how to prevent patients from receiving platelet products contaminated with bacteria, it finally feels like pathogen reduction technology is about to "get real" in the United States! There was a time, though, that modern versions of pathogen reduction existed only in the minds of some really, really smart people. One of those brilliant minds is my guest, and his name is Dr. Ray Goodrich. Ray shares the backstory of how modern pathogen...
078CE: Does That Patient REALLY Need Platelets? with Joe Sweeney
November 20, 2019 11:04 - 55 minutes - 51.5 MBFar too many platelet transfusion decisions are made by evaluating a single laboratory value (the platelet count). Dr. Joe Sweeney believes we need more information to make better choices. Platelet transfusion decisions can be complex, and there is wide practice variability both within institutions and among different subspecialty services. In this interview, Dr. Sweeney describes current platelet transfusion guidelines and a more thorough approach to caring for thrombocytopenic patients. ...
077CE: Implementing Pathogen-reduced Platelets with Pat Kopko
October 17, 2019 09:00 - 52 minutes - 48.9 MBOn September 30, 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration released the long awaited final guidance on bacterial risk control in platelets (see episode 076 for more details). One way that transfusion services can fulfill the recommendations in the guidance is to implement pathogen reduction technology. Dr. Pat Kopko and her team at the University of California-San Diego are well ahead of the curve, as they implemented PR-platelets in their hospital WAY back in 2017! Along the way,...
076: FDA Platelet Bacteria Guidance with Pat Kopko
October 11, 2019 10:58 - 42 minutes - 39.5 MBOver the past several years, the United States Food and Drug Administration has considered many proposals for how to decrease the risk that a vulnerable patient would receive a platelet transfusion containing bacteria. On September 30, 2019, FDA released their "Final Guidance" with multiple recommendations that can appear confusing at first glance. This interview with Dr. Pat Kopko from UC-San Diego is designed to be a "first impression" tour through the options in the guidance. NOTE: Every ...
075CE: What About Fibrinogen? with Melissa Cushing
August 14, 2019 09:00 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBAre we ignoring the most important coagulation factor when transfusing bleeding patients? Melissa Cushing thinks fibrinogen's contribution to survival of bleeding patients may be under-recognized. She describes the current evidence for early fibrinogen replacement in the bleeding patient, logistical challenges transfusion services face, studies providing insights to desired fibrinogen target levels, and future options to provide early fibrinogen replacement with increased efficiency and safe...
074CE: Radioactive! with Chris Tormey
July 31, 2019 08:58 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBTransfusion-associated Graft-versus-Host Disease (TA-GVHD) is a notoriously deadly but thankfully rare transfusion complication. Blood banks have used irradiation of cellular blood products for decades to prevent TA-GVHD, but clinicians and laboratorians still sometimes misunderstand what irradiation does and does not do. Dr. Chris Tormey from Yale details the past, present, and future of blood product irradiation in this practical and timely interview. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this...
073: Implementing Trauma Whole Blood with David Oh and Mike Goodman
July 10, 2019 07:01 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBMore and more trauma surgeons are asking their hospitals when they can get low-titer, cold-stored, group O whole blood ("trauma whole blood"). This product, discussed in depth in episode 040CE, is one that comes with lots of choices, and Drs. David Oh and Mike Goodman from Hoxworth Blood Center and the University of Cincinnati led their hospital through those decisions. They join me to share their insights, lessons learned, and practical tips. Please note: This is not intended to be a reci...
072CE: Neonatal Platelet Transfusion with Martha Sola-Visner
June 26, 2019 09:00 - 53 minutes - 49.6 MBFor decades, neonates (especially in the United States) have been given platelet transfusions at considerably higher platelet counts than thresholds used in adults. New data suggests, however, that "less may be more" when it comes to transfusing platelets to these tiny and vulnerable patients! Dr. Martha Sola-Visner, a neonatologist from Boston, joins me to discuss the results of a recent large study that challenges our assumptions about neonatal platelet transfusion. NOTE: CE credit has e...
071: NEW Therapeutic Apheresis Guidelines with Nancy Dunbar
June 19, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBThis month, the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) released a new version of their epic document called “Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice” in the Journal of Clinical Apheresis. It is, in many ways, the standard document that professionals in this field refer to when faced with a patient who may need treatment. One of the co-editors of the “Special Issue” (as it is also called), Dr. Nancy Dunbar, joins me to explain why you need to get your hands on the n...
070CE: Preventing Alloantibodies in Sickle Cell Disease with Stella Chou
June 05, 2019 09:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MBAlloimmunization after red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a huge challenge in the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). Even when donors and patients are "matched," anti-Rh antibodies in patients with sickle cell disease are formed way often than we would like or expect. Further, Dr. Stella Chou has shown that nearly a third of patients with those new antibodies actually have hemolytic transfusion reactions! It's a huge problem. In this interview, Dr. Chou, a pediatric hematologist from...
069CE: Preventing TRALI with Beth Shaz
May 22, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 40.6 MBOver the past 15 years, Transfusion-related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) has caused in more deaths than any other complication. Since many cases are caused by antibodies in blood donors, blood collection establishments around the world have taken numerous steps in an effort to prevent TRALI (also known as TRALI "mitigation"). Dr. Beth Shaz and a group of distinguished researchers decided to investigate and see if they could quantify the impact of the interventions. They looked at over 10 mill...
068: Transfusion in Cardiac Surgery with Pierre Tibi
May 13, 2019 09:00 - 58 minutes - 54 MBMost blood bankers will tell you that cardiac surgery can lead to some of the most intense interactions between a transfusion service and an operating room. Over the decades, we have seen wide variations in how much blood surgeons transfuse, even among those practicing in the same hospital! Those times are changing, however. Dr. Pierre Tibi is a busy cardiac surgeon in Arizona who also happens to be a Patient Blood Management champion! Pierre joins me to pull back the curtain on what is re...
067CE: Wiser Blood Management Choices with Carolyn Burns
April 24, 2019 09:00 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBIt feels like everyone is talking about patient blood management. That's a GOOD thing, but does it really mean what they think it means? Dr. Carolyn Burns joins me to discuss "Five Things Patients and Physicians Should Question" regarding blood management, and what she has to say may show you that you are NOT doing everything you can or should with PBM in your facility. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
066: IgA Deficiency and Anaphylactic Reactions with Jerry Sandler
April 10, 2019 08:18 - 56 minutes - 52.3 MBHere's what we thought we knew: IgA deficiency leads to anaphylactic transfusion reactions. Not so fast! Dr. Gerald Sandler from Georgetown University noticed something when he was in charge of one of the US national reference labs: Hardly anyone with true anaphylactic reactions actually had IgA deficiency and anti-IgA! There's more to the story, and Jerry is here to share it with us (including why it's still ok to look for IgA deficiency in these patients).
065: Transfusion and Jehovah's Witnesses with Jed Gorlin
March 18, 2019 09:00 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBJehovah's Witnesses refuse transfusion based on strong religious beliefs, but the "rules" can be confusing. Transfusion Medicine professionals are often called to help clinicians manage Witnesses' care (despite the fact that these patients will not accept most of what we supply!). In this interview, Jed Gorlin details how to be helpful, respectful, and a great team member in the care of Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse transfusion.
064CE: Granulocyte Transfusion with Ron Strauss
February 27, 2019 07:50 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBGranulocyte concentrate has been around for as long as apheresis platelets, but the product has come into and out of favor repeatedly over the years. While the most recent randomized trials were disappointing, Dr. Ron Strauss believes a closer look at the data from the famous "RING Study" convinces him that if we transfuse a "modern," high-dose granulocyte concentrate, the results can be very positive! Let's look together at the history and future of granulocyte transfusion. NOTE: CE credi...
063CE: Anti-CD47 Testing Interference with Connie Westhoff
February 06, 2019 10:03 - 49 minutes - 45.9 MBEver since the introduction of anti-CD38 (daratumumab, or DARA), blood bankers have been hearing about a new chemotherapy agent, anti-CD47, that would interfere far more in our testing than anti-CD38. Well, anti-CD47 is here (in trials), and it lives up to its reputation! Connie Westhoff and her team report on results from blood bank testing of patients taking the drug, and what you can do to overcome the problems. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
062CE: Autologous and Directed Donation with Julie Karp
January 18, 2019 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBFor patients who might need blood transfusion, the ideas of donating their own blood (“autologous donation”) and/or choosing their blood donor (“directed donation”) seem VERY appealing! However, Dr. Julie Karp explains the good reasons why both special donation types are getting less and less common, and tells us what role, if any, each has in today's Transfusion Medicine. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
061CE: Better AABB Assessments with Anne Chenoweth
December 11, 2018 20:09 - 52 minutes - 48.6 MBYou know all about AABB Standards, but how do you make them practical? Anne Chenoweth gives great tips to make your next assessment better! NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
060CE: Transforming Inventory Management with Nancy Dunbar
November 13, 2018 09:47 - 1 hour - 56 MBNancy Dunbar says a few simple adjustments to "the rules" we learned long ago could reduce shortages of O-neg RBCs, AB plasma, and platelets! NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
059: Antigen Matching for Future Moms with Meghan Delaney
October 29, 2018 09:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBA 25-year-old, A negative female needs blood. She will receive RhD-negative RBCs, of course, but what about antigen matching for Kell, or for other Rh antigens? Meghan Delaney explains her study, "AMIGO," in which she tried to determine if there is evidence that such matching is important.
058CE: Transfusion and Blood Clots with Ruchika Goel
October 03, 2018 09:00 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBVenous thromboembolism after surgery is a huge problem, and we may have underestimated one big contributing factor: Red cell transfusion! Ruchika Goel and colleagues put together the first study to primarily address the role of perioperative red blood cell transfusions in developing postoperative venous thromboemboli, and she is here to tell us what they found. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
057: Nonspecific Antibodies with Brenda Grossman
September 26, 2018 09:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBIsolated nonspecific reactions ("antibodies of undetermined specificity") on antibody workups can delay transfusions, but it may be impossible to determine whether or not they matter to the patient. Brenda Grossman explains possible causes and potential solutions when these annoying but common situations arise.
056CE: Transfusion in Liver Disease with Jeannie Callum
September 04, 2018 09:00 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBPatients with liver disease often have basic coagulation laboratory values that seem AWFUL, and as a result, they receive almost 1 in every 5 blood products transfused in hospitals! Jeannie Callum thinks that’s too much, and shows us how to improve our practice. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
055CE: 2017 Critical Developments with Claudia Cohn and Melissa Cushing
August 17, 2018 09:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MB"I never KNEW about that paper!" Most of us have felt that way when we miss some new Transfusion Medicine fact, especially early in our careers. In this interview, two of the editors of a synopsis of 2016-17 BB/TM literature summarize recent developments you should know. NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
054: ABO Discrepancies with Nicole Draper
August 01, 2018 07:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBIn the 2+ years I've been doing this podcast, more people have asked, "when are you doing ABO discrepancies?" than any other topic. Well, here you go! Let's learn the essentials with Dr. Nicole Draper, who loves ABO discrepancies! See www.BBGuy.org/054 for the visual part.