Application of RhD Blood Group to Simulate Antibody Identification Test in Immunohematology Education.

BACKGROUND: Immunohematology skill education is an important part of the transfusion medicine professional training. We tried to solve the difficulty of obtaining suitable and sufficient positive samples in the immunohematology education. METHODS: Different identification panels and panel cells were created by RhD-positive red blood cells (RBCs) and RhD-negative RBCs, according to the underlying antibodies. Diluted anti-D reagent was used as simulated plasma for identification. RESULTS: The antibody identification of single antibody with dose-effect and two antibodies present at the same time were successfully simulated. CONCLUSIONS: It is a practical and cheap method for antibody identification training to use RhD blood group, especially when positive samples are short.

The 50th anniversary of Blood Cells, Molecules and Diseases, 1975-2024.

The journal Blood Cells was initiated in 1975 by Marcel Bessis, a French hematologist and cell biologist, as a vehicle for the publication of papers and discussions presented at an international blood club meeting he convened at L' Institut de Pathologie Cellulaire on the campus of Hôpital Bicétre in Kremlin Bicétre, France, a commune on the southern border of Paris. The group met at the Institute for the first time in October 1972. After the first meeting, Bessis published the articles describing the presentations in the Nouvelle Revue d'Hématologie Française, France's principal journal for articles on the science and practice of hematology of which he was the editor. The refusal of the Nouvelle Revue d'Hématologie Française to continue publishing the papers from the meeting of the blood club in English prompted Bessis to start a new journal, Blood Cells, in 1975. Blood Cells, also, began to accept individual submitted papers unrelated to the blood club meeting and, thus, it evolved into a standard journal. A decade later, when Bessis became ill, he asked Brian Bull, a hematopathologist and professor at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California to assume the position as the second editor-in-chief. He and Bessis had become scientific collaborators and good friends in the preceding years. In 1995, Ernest Beutler, Chair of Molecular and Experimental Medicine at Scripps Research Institute, assumed the editor-in-chief position and transformed the Journal by making three consequential changes. He expanded its title to Blood Cells, Molecules and Diseases, converted its editorial board to past presidents of the American Society of Hematology plus a few additional experimental hematologists of note, a few from abroad, and he converted the Journal to a digital format, hosted on the Scripps Research Institute server. The Journal was the first published solely in a digital format. It, subsequently, was bought by Academic Press, then Harcourt and, then, by Elsevier. The next three editors-in-chief were (i) Marshall A. Lichtman, then Professor of Medicine (Hematology) and of Biochemistry and Biophysics and former Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, editor from 2000 to 2013, (ii) Mohandas Narla, then Vice President for Research and Director of The Laboratory of Red Cell Physiology at the New York Blood Center, editor from 2014 to 2021 and (iii) Lionel Blanc, Professor of Molecular Medicine and Pediatrics, Center for Autoimmune, Musculoskeletal and Hematopoietic Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and the Les Nelkin Professor of Pediatric Oncology Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra-Northwell from 2022 to the present. Although the Journal publishes papers on any aspect of hematology, it has developed a focus on disorders of red cells, erythropoiesis and hematopoiesis. In October 2024, it celebrates its 50th anniversary as a vehicle for the publication of papers in the discipline of hematology.

Reform of teaching and practice of the integrated teaching method BOPPPS-PBL in the course "clinical haematological test technique".

BACKGROUND: In order to meet the demand for laboratory talents in the clinical laboratory industry and address the current curriculum characteristics and shortcomings of the teaching mode of "Clinical Hematology Laboratory Technology", we investigated the effectiveness of the bridge-in, objective, pre-assessment, participatory learning, post-assessment, and summary model combined with problem-based learning (BOPPPS-PBL) in undergraduate teaching of this course. METHOD: Seventy students majoring in Medical Laboratory Technology from the Army Medical University in the past 5 years have been selected and divided into two groups with the same teaching content and time. The control group (2015 and 2016 grades) used traditional teaching methods, while the experimental group (2017, 2018 and 2019 grades) used the BOPPPS-PBL model. After class, diverse evaluation methods were used to analyze the formative and summative exam scores of the two groups of students. RESULTS: After the reform, students performed significantly better in exams than before. In addition, the new teaching methods have had a positive impact, with students demonstrating high motivation for self-directed learning and problem-solving abilities. CONCLUSION: Compared to traditional teaching methods. The BOPPPS-PBL integrated case study education model is a relatively effective teaching method to improve students' problem-solving ability and comprehensive practical ability.

Trainees' perspectives on sickle cell education: a qualitative needs assessment.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) exemplifies many of the social, racial, and healthcare equity issues in the United States. Despite its high morbidity, mortality, and cost of care, SCD has not been prioritized in research and clinical teaching, resulting in under-trained clinicians and a poor evidence base for managing complications of the disease. This study aimed to perform a needs assessment, examining the perspectives of medical trainees pursuing hematology/oncology subspecialty training regarding SCD-focused education and clinical care. METHOD: Inductive, iterative thematic analysis was used to explore qualitative interviews of subspecialty hematology-oncology trainees' attitudes and preferences for education on the management of patients with SCD. Fifteen trainees from six programs in the United States participated in 4 focus groups between April and May 2023. RESULTS: Thematic analysis resulted in 3 themes: 1. Discomfort caring for patients with SCD. 2. Challenges managing complications of SCD, and 3. Desire for SCD specific education. Patient care challenges included the complexity of managing SCD complications, limited evidence to guide practice, and healthcare bias. Skill-building challenges included lack of longitudinal exposure, access to expert clinicians, and didactics. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in exposure, limited formal didactics, and a lack of national standardization for SCD education during training contributes to trainees' discomfort and challenges in managing SCD, which in turn, contribute to decreased interest in entering the SCD workforce. The findings underscore the need for ACGME competency amendments, dedicated SCD rotations, and standardized didactics to address the gaps in SCD education.

Nanoscale insights into hematology: super-resolved imaging on blood cell structure, function, and pathology.

Fluorescence nanoscopy, also known as super-resolution microscopy, has transcended the conventional resolution barriers and enabled visualization of biological samples at nanometric resolutions. A series of super-resolution techniques have been developed and applied to investigate the molecular distribution, organization, and interactions in blood cells, as well as the underlying mechanisms of blood-cell-associated diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of various fluorescence nanoscopy technologies, outlining their current development stage and the challenges they are facing in terms of functionality and practicality. We specifically explore how these innovations have propelled forward the analysis of thrombocytes (platelets), erythrocytes (red blood cells) and leukocytes (white blood cells), shedding light on the nanoscale arrangement of subcellular components and molecular interactions. We spotlight novel biomarkers uncovered by fluorescence nanoscopy for disease diagnosis, such as thrombocytopathies, malignancies, and infectious diseases. Furthermore, we discuss the technological hurdles and chart out prospective avenues for future research directions. This review aims to underscore the significant contributions of fluorescence nanoscopy to the field of blood cell analysis and disease diagnosis, poised to revolutionize our approach to exploring, understanding, and managing disease at the molecular level.

Impact of a Regional Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program in Guatemala.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe and assess the regional experience of a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship program based in Guatemala. METHODS: The Unidad Nacional de Oncología Pediátrica (UNOP) in Guatemala City, Guatemala, is the only hospital in Central America dedicated exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer. To address the regional need for specialists, a fellowship program in pediatric hematology/oncology was launched in 2003. The UNOP fellowship program comprises 3 years of training. Although the program is based at UNOP, it also includes rotations locally and internationally to enhance clinical exposure. The curriculum is based on international standards to cover clinical expertise, research, professionalism, communication, and health advocacy. Trainees are selected according to country or facility-level need for pediatric hematologists/oncologists, with a plan for them to be hired immediately after completing their training. RESULTS: Forty physicians from 10 countries in Latin America have completed training. In addition, there are currently 13 fellows from five countries in training. Of the graduates, 39 (98%) are now practicing in pediatric hematology/oncology in Latin America. Moreover, many of them have leadership positions within their institutions and participate in research, advocacy, and policy making. Graduates from the UNOP program contribute to institutions by providing care for an increasing number of patients with pediatric cancer. The UNOP program is the first pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship program in the world to be accredited by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International, an international body accrediting clinical training programs. CONCLUSION: The UNOP program has trained specialists to increase the available care for children with cancer in Latin America. This regional approach to specialist training can maximize resources and serve as a model for other programs and regions.

The transformation of Cure4Kids: Expanding knowledge transfer capacity.

Global survival disparities among children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases are the driving force behind Cure4Kids' sustained outreach to healthcare professionals. Congruent with this need, Cure4Kids was redesigned to meet the emergent demands of diverse healthcare professionals seeking free, web-based pediatric hematology/oncology education. Herein, we present an overview of each phase of the design and development process for the transformation and describe key features of the new Cure4Kids and future opportunities for expansion.

Authorship characteristics of hematology and oncology education chapters: A comprehensive analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Achieving diversity and equity in healthcare, especially within academic and clinical spheres, poses significant challenges. This study aims to evaluate gender representation, geographical diversity among authors, and disclosure of conflicts of interest (COIs) in educational materials published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis covering all volumes of ASCO and ASH educational chapters from 2012 to 2022 and 2000 to 2022, respectively. Author data were extracted from the official websites of ASCO and ASH educational books, focusing on names, affiliations, countries of practice, COIs, and publication titles/subjects. RESULTS: Analysis of 2796 articles revealed significant trends in gender representation. Women comprised 44 % of first authors and 38 % of last authors in ASCO educational books, and 39 % of first authors and 39% of last authors in ASH educational books. Notably, there was a marked increase in female first and last authors over time across both ASCO and ASH publications (p < 0.001). Geographical diversity showed disparities, with the majority of authors affiliated with US institutions (72 % of first and last authors). International authors were less represented, with Canada, the UK, and Italy prominent among articles featuring international women authors. A substantial portion of analyzed articles disclosed COIs, mainly research funding, honoraria, and travel expenses. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest a notable rise in female authorship, potentially reflecting efforts by ASH and ASCO to promote diversity. International authorship remained stable, while COIs were prevalent, primarily involving research funding. Addressing the need for greater international engagement and improving COI reporting quality are crucial to promote inclusivity and transparency in academic publications.

Determination of drug-related problems in the hematology service: a prospective interventional study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hematological malignancies often require multidrug therapy using a variety of antineoplastic agents and supportive care medications. This increases the risk of drug-related problems (DRPs). Determining DRPs in patients hospitalized in hematology services is important for patients to achieve their drug treatment goals and prevent adverse effects. This study aims to identify DRPs by the clinical pharmacist in the multidisciplinary team in patients hospitalized in the hematology service of a university hospital in Turkey. METHODS: This study was conducted prospectively between December 2022 and May 2023 in the hematology service of Suleyman Demirel University Research and Application Hospital in Isparta, Turkey. DRPs were determined using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) 9.1 Turkish version. RESULTS: This study included 140 patients. Older age, longer hospital stay, presence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, presence of comorbidities, higher number of medications used, and polypharmacy rate were statistically significantly higher in the DRP group than in the non-DRP group (p < 0.05). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, the probability of DRP in patients with polypharmacy was statistically significant 7.921 times (95% CI: 3.033-20.689) higher than in patients without polypharmacy (p < 0.001).Every 5-day increase in the length of hospital stay increased the likelihood of DRP at a statistically significant level (OR = 1.476, 95% CI: 1.125-1.938 p = 0.005). In this study, at least one DRP was detected in 69 (49.3%) patients and the total number of DRPs was 152. Possible or actual adverse drug events (96.7%) were the most common DRPs. The most important cause of DRPs was drug choice (94.7%), and the highest frequency within its subcategories was the combination of inappropriate drugs (93.4%). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the importance of including a clinical pharmacist in a multidisciplinary team in identifying and preventing DRPs in the hematology service.

Pharmacy Workload in Clinical Trial Management: A Preliminary Complexity Assessment Tool for Sponsored Oncology and Haematology Trials.

Investigational drug services need to be organised in a structured approach, especially for sites with a large number of ongoing clinical trials. The aim of this study was to develop a tool to assess the complexity of pharmacy involvement in a sponsored oncology clinical trial. Categorisation into ordinal complexity categories was used to assess the complexity of the clinical trials for consistent pharmacy grant applications. The 15 items of the tool were divided into three sections, and individual item scores were agreed upon among four pharmacists with experience in the conduct of clinical trials at two different centres. A final version of the tool, named Pharm-CAT, was approved. The pharmacists were instructed to use Pharm-CAT to assign a score to each new sponsored trial. To determine the cut-offs for the complexity categories, the scores were sorted in ascending order and the cut-offs corresponding to the first and third tertiles of the score distribution were selected. To verify the reproducibility of the results, Pharm-CAT was applied by two pharmacists independently for each trial. Pharm-CAT proved to be user-friendly. Sixty clinical trials were evaluated and a total of 120 scores were recorded. Low-complexity scores ranged from 0 to 19, medium-complexity scores ranged from 20 to 25, and high-complexity scores were 26 or higher. The average score recorded was 22.88 points. Prospective multicentre validation of Pharm-CAT is needed to confirm its applicability.

A comparative study of blood cell count in four automated hematology analyzers: An evaluation of the impact of preanalytical factors.

Differential white blood cell counts are frequently used in diagnosis, patient stratification, and treatment selection to optimize therapy responses. Referral laboratories are often used but challenged with use of different hematology platforms, variable blood shipping times and storage conditions, and the different sensitivities of specific cell types. To extend the scientific literature and knowledge on the temporal commutability of blood samples between hematology analyzers, we performed a comparative ex-vivo study using four of the most utilized commercial platforms, focusing on the assessment of eosinophils given its importance in asthma management. Whole blood from healthy volunteers with and without atopy (n = 6+6) and participants with eosinophilic asthma (n = 6) were stored under different conditions (at 4, 20, 30, and 37°C, with or without agitation) and analyzed at different time points (3, 6, 24, 48 and 72h post-sampling) in parallel on the Abbott CELL-DYN Sapphire, Beckman Coulter DxH900, Siemens ADVIA 2120i and Sysmex XN-1000V. In the same blood samples, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), eosinophil activation and death markers were analyzed. All platforms gave comparable measurements of cell differentials on fresh blood within the same day of sampling. However, by 24 hours, significant temporal and temperature-dependent differences were observed, most markedly for eosinophils. None of the platforms performed perfectly across all temperatures tested during the 72 hours, showing that handling conditions should be optimized depending on the cell type of interest and the hematology analyzer. Neither disease status (healthy vs. asthma) nor agitation of the sample affected the cell quantification result or EDN release. The eosinophil activation markers measured by flow cytometry increased with time, were influenced by temperature, and were higher in those with asthma versus healthy participants. In conclusion, hematology analyzer, time window from sampling until analysis, and temperature conditions must be considered when analyzing blood cell differentials, particularly for eosinophils, via central labs to obtain counts comparable to the values obtained in freshly sampled blood.

Content of medicine prescription and clinical practice training for haematology advanced practice nurses in China: A modified Delphi study.

AIM: To explore the scope and form of prescriptions for blood and hematopoietic drugs that future advanced practice nurses (APNs) in the Department of Haematology and to establish a medicine prescription training content in China. BACKGROUND: Because the increasing number of doctors cannot meet the increasing demand for medical care with the population growth, many countries have begun to explore the medical team structure and practice areas, among which nurse prescribing rights have been the most effective. However, China's higher nursing education system still lacks education and training on nurse prescription. DESIGN: On the basis of literature research and semi-structured interviews, a set of nursing prescription content, education, training and practice system suitable for Chinese nurses was jointly created. METHODS: Two rounds of expert consultation between 23 haematology nursing experts and clinical experts determined the training content of blood system drugs and medicine prescriptions. Additionally, on the basis of the 23 experts，13 experts engaged in clinical and education, teaching and training experts were involved. Two rounds of expert consultation with 36 experts identified a general clinical practice training program for advanced practice nurses in China. RESULTS: Regarding contents and forms of hematopoietic drugs, the study concluded that advanced practice nurses in haematology department can prescribe anti-anemia drugs, anti-coagulant drugs and anti-thrombotic drugs in 2 categories and 16 drugs. Of these, four kinds of drugs should be prescribed in the form of protocol prescription. One kind of drug should be prescribed in the form of extended prescription and 11 drugs should be prescribed in the form of independent/extended or agreed/extended prescription. Regarding training content, the study obtained the training content of nurses' medicine prescriptions in eight clinical circumstances and the medicine prescription training content for common diseases of the blood system. The required specifications and the medicine prescription decision skills of nurses were sorted out according to different prescription types. CONCLUSIONS: The degrees of expert authority were both higher in consultations. Moreover, the results after consultation were reliable. It was recommended that haematology APNs could prescribe anti-anaemic drugs and anti-coagulation and anti-thrombotic drugs. Furthermore, most drugs should be prescribed in the form of independent/extended or agreed/extended prescriptions. The establishment of a medicine prescription training content for haematology APNs is expected to provide a reference for clinical practice education and training for drug prescriptive authority applicants for blood and hematopoietic system nurses in China.

Launching an International Community of Practice in Hematology/Oncology Medical Education.

A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. While the field of hematology/oncology has historically prioritized clinical care and biomedical research, medical education has received increasing attention within hematology/oncology in recent years. In 2018, ASCO launched the Education Scholars Program to train hematology/oncology clinicians in the science of teaching and learning. However, the number of hematology/oncology educators nationally and internationally far exceeds the capacity of the Education Scholars Program to train them. In addition, hematology/oncology educators often lack sufficient mentorship and guidance at their own institutions to pursue their chosen career path effectively. To ensure high-quality clinical care and research for generations to come, attention must be paid to improving support for hematology/oncology educators. Therefore, supported by ASCO, we developed an international medical education (Med Ed) CoP for hematology/oncology educators with the purpose of providing them with support, community, mentorship, resources, and scholarly opportunities in medical education. In this article, we describe the development of the Med Ed CoP using a three-stage framework (Establish-Grow-Sustain) including successes, challenges, and reflections. By supporting the needs of hematology/oncology educators, the Med Ed CoP will serve as a home for all who contribute to the field of hematology/oncology.

Patterns of primary and specialty care among children with sickle cell anemia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: National guidelines recommend that children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) be seen regularly by primary care providers (PCPs) as well as hematologists to receive comprehensive, multidisciplinary care. The objective is to characterize the patterns of primary and hematology care for children with SCA in Michigan. METHODS: Using validated claims definitions, children ages 1-17 years with SCA were identified using Michigan Medicaid administrative claims from 2010 to 2018. We calculated the number of outpatient PCP and hematologist visits per person-year, as well as the proportion of children with at least one visit to a PCP, hematologist, or both a PCP and hematologist annually. Negative binomial regression was used to calculate annual rates of visits for each provider type. RESULTS: A total of 875 children contributed 2889 person-years. Of the total 22,570 outpatient visits, 52% were with a PCP and 34% with a hematologist. Annually, 87%-93% of children had a visit with a PCP, and 63%-85% had a visit with a hematologist. Approximately 66% of total person-years had both visit types within a year. The annual rate ranged from 2.3 to 2.5 for hematologist visits and from 3.7 to 4.1 for PCP visits. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial gaps exist in the receipt of annual hematology care. Given that the majority of children with SCA see a PCP annually, strategies to leverage primary care visits experienced by this population may be needed to increase receipt of SCA-specific services.

Enhancing diagnostic accuracy of multiple myeloma through ML-driven analysis of hematological slides: new dataset and identification model to support hematologists.

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells within the bone marrow. Diagnosing MM presents considerable challenges, involving the identification of plasma cells in cytology examinations on hematological slides. At present, this is still a time-consuming manual task and has high labor costs. These challenges have adverse implications, which rely heavily on medical professionals' expertise and experience. To tackle these challenges, we present an investigation using Artificial Intelligence, specifically a Machine Learning analysis of hematological slides with a Deep Neural Network (DNN), to support specialists during the process of diagnosing MM. In this sense, the contribution of this study is twofold: in addition to the trained model to diagnose MM, we also make available to the community a fully-curated hematological slide dataset with thousands of images of plasma cells. Taken together, the setup we established here is a framework that researchers and hospitals with limited resources can promptly use. Our contributions provide practical results that have been directly applied in the public health system in Brazil. Given the open-source nature of the project, we anticipate it will be used and extended to diagnose other malignancies.