Accredited Lectures

In this lecture, Dr. Daniel Candotti provides an overview of the current state of clinical research on occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 2 billion people have been infected with HBV, and more than 820,000 deaths are attributed to hepatitis B each year. While antiviral treatments can suppress the infection, they often fail to completely eliminate the virus, leading to cases of subclinical, persistent infection.

Dr. Candotti explores several mechanisms by which the hepatitis B virus evades immune detection. He also discusses the implications of these occult infections for the safety of the blood supply.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: 0.5 hours

In this lecture, Dr. Ravneet Kaur discusses medical concerns related to iron deficiency in blood donors. Iron deficiency is the most common reason for donor deferral, leading to the loss of many willing donors. She explains how iron deficiency can be assessed and suggests strategies to prevent this common cause of deferral, ultimately resulting in a more robust and safer donor pool.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: 0.5 hours

In this lecture, Dr. Noriko Namba describes the role of voluntary non-remunerated blood donations in Japan.  She describes the history of the transition from paid donations to non-remunerated donations, which make up all donations today.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: 0.5 hours

In this lecture by Tomasz Kluszczynski, Plasma Derived Medicinal Products (PDMPs) encompass a wide spectrum of therapies that play a critical role in modern healthcare, offering significant value to patients, clinicians, health systems, and society as a whole. Understanding their importance involves exploring their unique lifecycle stages, including the complex processes of plasma collection and fractionation. A comprehensive examination of PDMPs also requires a deep dive into the key challenges that affect their supply chain, spanning the entire journey “from donor to patient.” Addressing these challenges is essential to identifying and implementing effective solutions that promote more equitable and sustainable access to these vital therapies.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: Hours: 0.5

In this presentation, Dr. Sarah Tanaka will initially present a review of visceral leishmaniasis infection, including details of the etiological agent and transmission. Later, she will share details about the risk of transfusion transmission of the infection, including some risk mitigation strategies, which she and the research group she belongs to are exploring.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: Hours: 0.5

In this lecture, Dr. Bloch describes transfusion reactions which present with respiratory signs and symptoms. He describes how to discern between Definitive, Probable and Possible association between symptoms and transfusion, and describes several layers of severity. In addition, Dr. Bloch describes different levels of Imputability: definite, probable, possible and doubtful. He also describes the most common symptoms, with a focus on TRALI, TACO sepsis, etc., and discusses treatment options.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: Hours: 1.0

In this lecture, Dr. Jed Gorlin shares insights regarding the establishment of an alloantibody registry at the Community Blood Center of Kansas City. He will discuss how this registry has been a direct benefit to patients. Dr. Gorlin concludes his lecture by outlining the importance and challenges of establishing a national registry.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: Hours: 0.5

In this lecture, Dr. Evan Bloch will provide an overview of patient blood management (PBM). He will discuss the populations and/or settings where implementation of a PBM program may be of benefit. Dr. Bloch includes recommendations and discusses challenges related to implementation.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: Hours: 0.5

In this lecture, Dr. Wahn introduces the topic of Primary Immunodeficiencies (PID). He reviews the clinical impact abnormal/opportunistic infections have on individuals with PID and also reviews other clinical findings associated with PID. In addition, Dr. Wahn discusses the diagnostic approach for PID and reviews current treatment options.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: 0.5 hours

In this lecture, Dr Lynne Uhl discusses emergency blood release and clinical use. Based on her clinical experience, she also discusses appropriate management of blood to meet urgent needs and concludes with insights regarding recognition of hemolytic transfusion reactions.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS: 0.5 hours