Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast 039CE: Understanding Febrile Reactions with Christine Cserti-Gazdewich
Oct 6, 2017
Join Christine Cserti-Gazdewich, a transfusion medicine specialist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, as she sheds light on febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions. Discover why these reactions deserve more attention than they usually receive and how they can impact patient safety and hospital resources. Christine discusses the nuances of hemovigilance, the importance of accurate classification, and the persistent risks from leukocyte reduction. Her insights aim to elevate understanding and improve practices in transfusion medicine.
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Krever Inquiry Shaped Her Career
- Christine Cserti-Gazdewich became motivated to study transfusion medicine after the 1997 Krever Commission on tainted blood in Canada.
- That public tragedy shaped her focus on hemovigilance and noninfectious transfusion hazards.
Three Pillars Of Hemovigilance
- Recognition, reporting, and collaboration are the three core principles of hemovigilance described by Christine Cserti-Gazdewich.
- Strong bedside recognition and timely reporting link patient events to product safety and public health action.
Stratify Fevers Before Launching Full Workups
- Stratify transfusion fevers into low-risk and high-risk to avoid unnecessary invasive workups.
- For low-risk fevers, pause, treat symptomatically, recheck vitals, and only escalate if signs progress.