Prevalence and laboratorial determinants of the clinical relevance of antibodies of undetermined specificity.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Antibodies of unknown specificity (AUS) are frequently identified in the pre-transfusion testing. These antibodies can be insignificant or potentially cause post-transfusion haemolysis. Information about the prevalence of clinically relevant AUS is still lacking. Our aim was to predict the potential clinical relevance of AUS using the monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) and to identify the clinical and laboratorial determinants of AUS' significance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Antibodies of unknown specificity identified at a single institution from 2015-2017 were evaluated through MMA. A monocyte index (MI) of more than 5% was predictive of potential post-transfusion haemolysis. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients with AUS were included in the study. Of the studied AUS, 37·5% (12/32) presented with a monocyte index (MI) more than 5%. In the group of significant AUS, 41·7% of the patients presented with sickle cell disease (SCD) and the AUS were associated with Rh antibodies in 75% of the cases. In the group of insignificant AUS, only 10% of the patients had SCD and the association with Rh antibodies was detected in 20% of the cases. The presence of Rh antibodies was independently associated with the AUS clinical relevance (P = 0·012). CONCLUSION: More than one-third of the AUS are potentially clinically relevant, and the association with Rh antibodies is predictive of AUS relevance. Services must honour AUS in the pre-transfusion process in order to ensure transfusion safety.

Prevalence, incidence and residual risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infection before and after the implementation of HBV-NAT in northern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Nucleic acid testing (NAT) for virus detection during blood screening has helped to prevent transfusion-transmitted infections worldwide. In northern Brazil, NAT was implemented in 2012 for HIV and HCV and more recently, in January 2015, the screening for HBV was included and currently used concomitant with serological tests (HBsAg and anti-HBc). This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and the incidence of HBV infection among voluntary blood donors at ten regional blood centers of HEMOPA Foundation in Pará state and to compare the residual risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infection before and after the Brazilian HBV-NAT implementation. METHODS: The prevalence (restricted to first time donors- FT) and seroconversion rate (restricted to repeat donors- RP) of HBV were calculated based on rates of confirmed positive samples. Residual risk was based on the incidence and window period (WP) model described by Schreiber and coauthors. Logistic and Poisson regression were used in the statistical analysis by SPSS v20.0. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: HBV prevalence in the periods before and after the implementation of HBV-NAT were 247 and 251 per 100,000 donations, respectively. Seroconversion rates were 114 and 122 per 100,000 donations in the two periods, respectively. The residual risk (RR) for HBV decreased significantly in the posterior period to the HBV-NAT implementation, when compared to RR before implementation, with a reduction of 1:144,92 to 1:294,11 donations (p <0,001). CONCLUSIONS: The RR to HBV decreased after the implementation of HBV-NAT, increasing significantly the transfusional security in the North region of Brazil at HEMOPA Foundation.

Nurses' knowledge of blood transfusion in neonate. / Saberes do enfermeiro para o cuidado no processo transfusional em recém-nascidos.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze nurses' knowledge of blood transfusion in neonates in a neonatal intensive unit care. METHODS: A descriptive and exploratory qualitative study conducted in two hospitals in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. The participants were 15 nurses who performed their activities in the neonatal intensive unit care, from August to December 2014. Data was subjected to thematic content analysis. RESULTS: The category created was divided into the following sub-categories, namely: nurses' care during blood transfusion: care during blood transfusion monitoring; a different perception of nurses regarding responses to blood transfusion and notification: the essence of care. CONCLUSION: The identification of nurses' knowledge of blood transfusion, it is possible to promote their capacity for quality and safety of care related to the transfusion process in newborns.

Saberes do enfermeiro para o cuidado no processo transfusional em recém-nascidos / Conocimiento de los enfermeros para cuidado en el proceso de transfusión en recién nacidos / Nurses' knowledge of blood transfusion in neonate

RESUMO Objetivo Analisar o conhecimento do enfermeiro acerca do processo transfusional para o cuidado do recém-nascido na unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal. Métodos Estudo descritivo, exploratório, qualitativo, realizado em dois hospitais da cidade de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Participaram 15 enfermeiras atuantes na unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal, no período de agosto a dezembro de 2014. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo na modalidade temática. Resultados A categoria formada resultou nas seguintes subcategorias, a saber: A atenção do enfermeiro durante a transfusão sanguínea: cuidados no acompanhamento transfusional; A perspectiva de um olhar diferenciado do enfermeiro diante das reações transfusionais e das notificações: a essência do cuidado. Conclusões Com a identificação do conhecimento do enfermeiro neonatologista a respeito do processo transfusional, é possível promover a sua capacitação tendo em vista a qualidade e a segurança dos cuidados relacionados ao processo transfusional em recém-nascidos.

RESUMEN Objetivo Analizar el conocimiento del enfermero sobre el proceso de transfusión para cuidar del recién nacido en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales. Métodos Estudio cualitativo exploratorio descriptivo, realizado en dos hospitales en la ciudad de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Participaron 15 enfermeras que trabajaron en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales, en el período de agosto a diciembre de 2014. Los datos fueron sometidos a análisis de contenido en la modalidad temática. Resultados La categoría transmitida resultó en las siguientes subcategorías, a saber: la atención de la enfermera durante la transfusión de sangre: el cuidado de la transfusión de monitoreo; La perspectiva de una visión diferente de la enfermera antes de las reacciones transfusionales y notificaciones: la esencia de la atención. Conclusión La identificación de los conocimientos de la enfermera neonatóloga sobre el proceso de transfusión, es capaz de promover su formación con miras a la calidad y seguridad de la atención relacionada con el proceso de transfusión en los recién nacidos.

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze nurses' knowledge of blood transfusion in neonates in a neonatal intensive unit care. Methods A descriptive and exploratory qualitative study conducted in two hospitals in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. The participants were 15 nurses who performed their activities in the neonatal intensive unit care, from August to December 2014. Data was subjected to thematic content analysis. Results The category created was divided into the following sub-categories, namely: nurses' care during blood transfusion: care during blood transfusion monitoring; a different perception of nurses regarding responses to blood transfusion and notification: the essence of care. Conclusion The identification of nurses' knowledge of blood transfusion, it is possible to promote their capacity for quality and safety of care related to the transfusion process in newborns.

Trali, una amenaza enmascarada: definición, aspectos epidemiológicos y clínicos / Trali, a masked threat: definition, epidemiological and clinical aspects

El daño pulmonar agudo relacionado con la transfusión o TRALI, como más comúnmente se le conoce, por definición no se diferencia de otros tipos de distrés respiratorios, salvo por su origen demostrable y su estrecha relación temporal con la transfusión. Constituye una de las reacciones adversas más peligrosas del uso de productos sanguíneos y sus peculiares características le permiten enmascararse entre los muchos factores que pueden desencadenar un daño pulmonar agudo, especialmente en algunos pacientes que resultan más susceptibles a su desarrollo. El propósito de esta revisión es hacer un recordatorio de su existencia, sobre todo a aquellos médicos que manejan cotidianamente pacientes demandantes de componentes sanguíneos y cuya condición clínica favorece su aparición. Sus principales variables epidemiológicas (ej: incidencia y mortalidad) varían, a veces de manera notable, entre los distintos informes. La heterogeneidad de criterios aun después de la consecución de consensos internacionales para su diagnóstico, dificulta aprovechar al máximo los datos obtenidos de los distintos estudios realizados sobre su comportamiento y ha promovido la aparición de no pocos resultados contradictorios. Su diagnóstico clínico representa un reto al presentarse en medio de contextos clínicos que hacen plantear otras causas para la aparición del distrés respiratorio. Por ello, muchas veces pasa inadvertido o es mal identificado(AU)

Transfusion-related acute lung injury better known as TRALI, has not differences with other kinds of acute respiratory distress, except for its close relation with transfusion. It is considered among the greatest hazards on blood products use. With its peculiar characteristics it mimics within the many factors that may trigger an acute respiratory distress, especially among those patients at high risk for suffering lung damage after transfusion. The main purpose of this review is to make a recall of the existence of TRALI for those physicians who deal with high transfusion-demanding patients or those with conditions which could represent a risk for its development. TRALI´s main epidemiological variables (such as incidence and mortality) show important variations among different investigations. The criteria heterogeneity, even after the consecution of international diagnostic consensus, has made it difficult to take advantage of the data arose from multiple studies about its behavior, promoting the report of not a few contradictory results on worldwide publications. Diagnosing TRALI represents a real challenge for the clinician since it often appears within the context of various possible causes for an acute respiratory distress. This is why TRALI is frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed(AU)