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The Monocyte Monolayer Assay (MMA)
Most patients have negative results in pretransfusion testing when their serum or plasma is tested for unexpected antibodies to red cells. For most patients with positive red cell antibody screens, the antibody–for example, anti-K or anti-E–is easily identified and antigen-negative blood can be obtained if needed. But some patients have multiple antibodies or antibodies to…
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American Red Cross Scientific Affairs experience at AABB 2023
Paula Saa1*, PhD; Bryan Spencer2, PhD, MPH; Ed Notari1, MPH; Galen Conti1, MPH 1American Red Cross Scientific Affairs, Rockville, MD; 2American Red Cross Scientific Affairs, Boston, MA; *Corresponding author After a series of virtual meetings, we were all very excited to reconnect in person at the 2023 AABB annual meeting in Nashville, TN, where the…
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Giving Back to Our Donors: Personalized Blood Pressure Information
The American Red Cross values the generosity of the millions of individuals who donate life-saving blood each year. . Over 46% of US adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension; and many of them are unaware of their medical condition (1). Hypertension may occur alone or with other medical conditions. Most of the time, there…
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Sickle Cell Awareness Month: How the American Red Cross Mission is Meeting the Need
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about sickle cell disease and its devastating impact on individuals and families. While sickle cell disease is the most common genetic blood disease in the U.S., occurring in 1 in 365 Black or African American births, limited healthcare resources have historically been…
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Young Apheresis Platelet Donors Give Hope To The Resiliency Of The US Platelet Supply
Summary provided by Dr. Baia Lasky Platelet demand continues to increase (1) and U.S. hospitals face frequent shortages (2). Between 2010 and 2019, the American Red Cross’ (ARC) platelet distributions increased by 16.6% (778,775 to 907,851 units); therefore, a reliable and sustainable apheresis platelet donor (APD) base is essential to support patient care. . During…
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The Role of Histocompatibility Laboratory Services at the American Red Cross in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Clara Barton established the American Red Cross in 1881 with the primary objective of providing emergency assistance and disaster relief to people in the United States. The organization later grew into one of the largest charitable and nonprofit organizations, expanding its reach into blood product supply, cellular therapies, and tissue services. Leaders had the foresight…
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Motivating Donors: Lessons from Collecting COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma
Early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many blood centers began collecting and distributing COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP). Researchers from the American Red Cross conducted a survey of CCP donors during the first five months of the CCP collection period (April 27-September 15, 2020) to gather information about their donation experience and motivations. Read about their findings…
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The Home Fire Campaign: Prevention is the Best Medicine
October 14, 2022. North Las Vegas, Nevada. Cherise Coleman and her family escaped a fire unharmed at their North Las Vegas home in September 2022, thanks to free smoke alarms installed a few years earlier by American Red Cross volunteers, including Eva Stowers (left). Few disasters cause as much harm to people and their homes…
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Association of Whole Blood with Survival Among Patients Presenting with Severe Hemorrhage in US and Canadian Adult Civilian Trauma Centers.
Torres CM et al. JAMA Surg. Published online January 18, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2022.6978 Trauma continues to be the leading cause of death in US civilians under 45 years of age.[i] Transfusion strategies to lessen morbidity and mortality caused by hemorrhage and trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) have been influenced by military success during wartime. The use of whole…
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Oh, Baby, Baby!! A Case Study
Case: A 29-year-old female presented to her obstetrician’s office for a routine 16-week checkup. Routine prenatal blood work was ordered, which included a type and screen. The hospital had no prior record of the patient and proceeded with routine testing. The patient typed O, Rh positive with a positive antibody screen using column agglutination testing…
