Blood Transfusion Therapy: a Physicians Handbook

A convenient reference for issues relating to transfusion medicine, the seventh edition of this title still utilizes the same concise discussions with reference for future information at the end as the six previous editions.

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Designed to serve as a convenient reference for issues relating to transfusion medicine, the seventh edition of this title still utilizes the same concise discussions with reference for future information at the end as the six previous editions. The reference lists serve as a good starting point for readers seeking additional details. The seventh edition contains a new chapter on therapeutic apheresis, emphasizing the important role of this therapy in treating a wide variety of illnesses; a chapter on blood components addressing oxygen carriers and the emerging technologies for pathogen reduction of blood components; a chapter on plasma derivatives which includes new information on recombinant Factor VII and activated Protein C preparations; discussion of transfusion practices, including alternatives to allogenic transfusion, platelet refractoriness, paediatric transfusion therapy and transfusion support in solid organ transplantation.
Also included are new chapters on: haemostatic disorders, incorporating information about risk factors for thrombosis including mutation in Factor V and II genes and elevated Factor VIII levels; the adverse effects of blood tranfusion, including drug-induced haemolysis, sickle cell haemolytic reactions, posttransfusion purpura and emerging pathogens such as prions and parasites (eg Chaggs' disease). Finally, the haemotopoietic chapter includes recent advances such as new growth factors, cord blood transplantation, donor leukocyte infusions and a table summarizing component selection in ABO-mismatched stem cell transplantation.