Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast

Talk of Zika virus has been all over the news for months, and especially so in the last few days of July 2016. Dr. Chaffin and co-host Dr. Heidi Shafi take a look at how the identification of local transmission of Zika in South Florida impacts blood donation and transfusion in the United States.

Dr. Emily Volk from the Baptist and Tenet Health Systems joins Dr. Chaffin to discuss Patient Blood Management (PBM). It seems like everyone today is talking about PBM, from hospital administrators to clinicians to laboratory scientists to pathologists. This episode is a big picture look at some things to consider when thinking about implementing or improving a PBM program. Dr. Volk has been a part of two very successful PBM programs, and she shares some of what she has learned with us.

Joined by my new "Ask the BBGuy" co-host, Dr. Heidi Shafi, I take a detailed look at Transfusion-associated Graft-vs-Host Disease (TA-GVHD). This transfusion complication is by far one of the most dangerous, fatal in over 90% of cases. I start from the basics and outline the details of TA-GVHD, and discuss the implications of a game-changing 2015 article on the topic.

In transfusion medicine, infants and children are NOT just "little adults!" Dr. Cassandra Josephson joins Dr. Chaffin to discuss 5 things you should know about pediatric transfusion today!

Drug-induced Immune Hemolytic Anemia challenges both established blood bankers and beginners alike! It's tough, but Pat Arndt from American Red Cross Southern California joins Dr. Chaffin in a conversation to outline the basics and give you a way to understand how drugs and antibodies and red cells interact. 

Since U.S. FDA approval of the multiple myeloma drug with the funny name, "daratumumab," in late 2015, blood bankers have had a lot to learn and still can be confused about the drug's effect on testing. Dr. Kaufman is an international expert on this topic, and he helps clear the mysteries of DARA with practical strategies you can learn right away!

Dr. Kristine Krafts from the University of Minnesota and pathologystudent.com joins Dr. Chaffin to discuss her "Top Five Tips to Make Your Next Presentation Awesome!" Great presentations don't just happen. They take planning, preparation, and practice. If you want your next lecture to be great, Dr. Krafts shares five very practical tips for setting yourself up for success as a presenter!

Dr. Kevin Land from Blood Systems International joins Dr. Chaffin for an interesting and sometimes hilarious look at common blood bank beliefs, including viral disease risk, O-negative blood use, transfusion and mortality, and "young vs. old" blood.

Dr. Minh-Ha Tran from University of California Irvine joins Dr. Chaffin to discuss the "Who, Where, What, Why, When, and How of Massive Transfusion!" Dr. Tran offers tons of great tips, data, and discussions. See example slides on BBGuy.org.

Dr. Chaffin opens the "Ask the BBGuy" mailbag to discuss D variants, Liquid Plasma, transfusion choices when warm autoantibodies are present, and directed donor unit management.