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Day: February 10, 2021

Journal examines successful launch, expansion of whole-blood transfusion program in South Texas

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The first-of-its-kind civilian program to provide low-titer O-positive whole blood for emergency use, of which the Brothers in Arms program from the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is a key component, has been highlighted in the latest edition of the journal Military Medicine. 

Chief Operating Officer of South Texas Blood & Tissue Center Elizabeth Waltman is one of the co-authors of the article, “Operationalizing the Deployment of Low-Titer O-Positive Whole Blood Within a Regional Trauma System.” 

An outgrowth of military research 

The program is administered by the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, which coordinates trauma care throughout a 22-county region, and managed and guided by the San Antonio Whole Blood Consortium. It was developed in conjunction with the U.S. military, which has been researching the use of whole blood in battlefield situations since Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001. 

The first civilian low-titer O whole blood program in the country started with deployment of units of specially collected and screened blood to helicopter EMS units. In an update from the time the article was published, 94 hospital and pre-hospital users (eight hospitals and 86 ground and air EMS units) now are carrying the special units. 

Overcoming concerns with novel solutions 

The report noted that a major concern at the launch of the program was the potential for loss of units to expiration. But thanks to a novel system that rotates the blood from air medical providers, Level IV trauma centers and ground EMS providers to the Level I center after 14 days, the loss rate has stayed low, at just 1.16% 

Maintaining the blood at a proper temperature also was a major issue, but just one unit has been discarded, when it was accidentally frozen. 

Another concern was transfusion-related complications, but none have been reported among patients who have received low-titer O whole blood either before arriving at the emergency room or in the emergency room. Through 2020, 754 patients had received the special transfusions. 

Reliable, loyal donors 

The Brothers in Arms program from the community blood center has a reliable and loyal base of 3,097 active donors (through 2020, updated from the article) to keep the program supplied, along with recruiting and retaining donors through social media and special events. Brothers in Arms donors show up to their appointments 80% of the time, compared to a 60% show rate for all blood donors. 

The current eligible donor pool totals 6,519, and there were 3,876 Brothers in Arms units collected in 2020. 

The conclusion of the report noted: 

“This work demonstrates a novel civilian model for the development of a trauma system LTOWB program. Implementation and sustainment of the program, augmenting remote damage control resuscitation strategies, requires the integration and collaboration of a multidisciplinary stakeholder team to optimize efficiency, performance, and safety of the program. 

“The SAWBC has shared all processes and outcome information with numerous interested organizations to facilitate the development of other LTOWB programs in their catchment area to decrease mortality and morbidity associated with hemorrhage.”

Blood & Tissue Center Foundation’s 2021 Red & White Ball to help raise funds for a new donor room at the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center

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The 2021 Red & White Ball will be on Saturday, Nov. 13 at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

The gala’s co-chairs are Jeanne Bennett, Morgan Bertram and Lilly and Alan Gretzinger.

Proceeds from this year’s event will support the buildout of a new donor room and equipment to improve the donor experience and expand blood collection opportunities in the high-growth area on San Antonio’s far north side.

This will be the first donor room expansion in 10 years by the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, necessary to meet the needs of a growing population, especially as hospital demand continues to rise for blood and other therapeutic products provided by the community blood center. 

The Foundation, chaired by Claire and Patrick Rouse, will present its annual Chairman’s Award to the Homer Olsen family. The award recognizes those who have made a significant impact on the organization’s success.

Frost will receive the Patron Award for outstanding commitment to and significant philanthropic support for the lifesaving mission of BioBridge Global through the Foundation.

Details are coming soon on seats, tables and sponsorships for the ball. For more information, contact Foundation Manager Mary Dial at 210-249-4498 or mary.dial@bloodntissue.org or visit RedAndWhiteBallSA.org.

Kelly

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For Kelly, her passion for helping people as a nurse anesthetist carried her through the pandemic, while she was fighting her own illness.

In 2017, Kelly was preparing for a procedure to relieve her unusual leg pain. Her lab work came back with striking results—an extremely high platelet count.

She was diagnosed with thrombocythemia, a blood disease in which bone marrow makes too many platelets.

“To me, somebody who has never been sick, to now have a chronic illness where I would have to take medication, it was difficult for me,” Kelly said.

The medication managed the disease, but she began experiencing leg pain again in April 2020. After several months of doctor’s visits, she was told that her illness progressed into myelofibrosis, a rare bone marrow cancer.

Kelly’s only hope for a cure is a marrow or stem cell transplant, but first she must find a matching donor—someone who has the same genetic tissue typing of the immune system.

“I was in complete shock,” she said. “Those were words I thought I would never have to say that pertained to me.”

Fortunately, Kelly has three potential donors through the Be The Match Registry, as well as waiting for confirmation on whether her brother is a perfect match.

Through her journey, Kelly learned that other patients in need of a marrow transplant are not so lucky. Patients are more likely to match a donor from the same ethnic or racial background, but many ethnic groups are underrepresented on the registry. For example, African American patients have only a 23% chance of finding their lifesaving match.

As Kelly goes through chemotherapy in preparation for a marrow transplant, she hopes her story will inspire others to sign up as marrow donors.

“I would encourage all to register, especially those individuals that are non-Caucasian as this is where there is a short fall of donors.”

To join the marrow registry in honor of Kelly, text RUN4KELLY to 61474

Charles Drew: Blood banking pioneer

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Charles Drew, the first African-American to earn a doctor of medical science degree from Columbia University, is known as the father of blood banking in the United States.

His interest in the science of blood transfusions was sparked while he was in medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, when he saved a man via a transfusion.

At Columbia, his interests expanded, and his doctoral dissertation, “Banked Blood: A Study in Blood Preservation,” described methods he developed for long-term preservation of plasma, and closely examined existing practices for blood collection and transfusion.

John Scudder, a scientist working on building a blood banking program in New York, called the thesis a “masterpiece,” noting that it was “one of the most distinguished essays ever written, both in form and content.”

Prior to Drew’s research, blood could not be stored for more than two days because of the rapid breakdown of the cells. But he made two breakthroughs in blood storage science:

  • He found that if the plasma is separated from the cells and stored separately, they could be combined up to a week later for a transfusion.
  • He also discovered that plasma has no A, B or O type, so it can be administered to any patient in cases when a whole blood transfusion was not needed.

Drew and Scudder did extensive research into procedures, collection and preservation of blood, developing a plan to send large amounts of contamination-free plasma to England during World War II.

He also developed the concept for the first “blood bus,” a mobile unit for collections equipped with refrigeration.

Drew spent the last nine years of his career training African-American surgeons at Howard University. He died in an automobile accident in 1950.