From Collection to Transfusion: Updates on Best Practices and Quality Control in Blood Banking (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on blood banking best practices and quality control.

Quality Control (QC)

A quality discipline focused on detecting defects in blood products before use through routine testing, inspections, and control samples.

Quality Assurance (QA)

A quality system that establishes SOPs, audits, training, and documentation to prevent quality issues at the source.

Quality Management (QM)

An overarching system that integrates QC and QA to align objectives, manage resources, and drive continuous improvement.

Transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs)

Infections transmitted by blood transfusion; minimized by stringent donor health assessment, travel history, and risk factor evaluation.

Voluntary, unpaid donors

Donors who give blood without compensation; they consistently show the lowest rates of infection.

Diversion bag

A collection device used to divert the initial portion of blood during collection to reduce contamination.

Component processing

Process of separating whole blood into components, typically RBCs, plasma, and platelets.

Blood components

The primary products derived from blood: red blood cells (RBCs), plasma, and platelets.

Pretransfusion testing

Rigorous testing before transfusion including blood typing, infectious agent screening, and compatibility assessments.

Leukodepletion

Process to remove white blood cells to reduce transfusion reactions and alloimmunization.

Bacterial contamination testing

Testing to detect bacterial contamination in blood products to prevent septic reactions.

Pathogen reduction technologies

Techniques that inactivate pathogens in blood products to improve safety.

Washing of blood components

Rinsing components to remove plasma proteins and reduce transfusion reactions.

Irradiation

Exposure of blood products to radiation to prevent transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease.

Plasma reduction

Reducing the plasma content in components to minimize certain transfusion reactions.

TRALI (Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury)

A serious transfusion reaction affecting the lungs; mitigated by safety measures in collection and processing.

Graft-versus-host disease

A serious complication where donor immune cells attack the recipient; prevented by irradiation or leukoreduction.

Storage and handling

Equipment must be calibrated, validated, and routinely maintained to ensure proper storage and handling.

Environmental monitoring

Real-time monitoring of temperature and humidity (often wireless) with alarms to ensure safe storage conditions.

Documentation and traceability

Robust electronic and paper records linking donors to recipients to ensure compliance and traceability.

Audits, deviation management & improvement

Internal and external audits; deviations require root cause analysis and corrective actions with follow-up.

Root cause analysis

Systematic investigation to identify fundamental causes of deviations or problems.

Corrective actions

Measures implemented to address root causes and prevent recurrence, followed by monitoring.

Training and Competence

Ongoing staff education on SOPs, infection control, documentation, and risk awareness to foster quality culture.

Quality culture

Leadership-driven safety culture with clear roles, communication, and a dedicated quality management team.

Quality Management Systems (QMS)

Framework of SOPs, quality manuals, documentation plans, audits, and training to ensure consistent quality.

Regulatory frameworks (global/local)

Guidance from WHO standards, FDA, EU Blood Directives, GMP/GLP/GDP/GDocP to ensure compliance and safety.

Risk management tools

HACCP, FMEA, and RCA used to identify, prioritize, and mitigate risks in blood banking.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points; a structured risk-based approach to safety.

FMEA

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis; evaluates potential failures to prioritize mitigation.

Hemovigilance

System to track and analyze adverse events across the transfusion chain to improve safety.

Transfusion Practitioners (TPs)

Professionals who supervise incident management, auditing, training, and policy implementation in transfusion services.

Patient Blood Management (PBM)

Strategy to minimize unnecessary transfusions through anemia management, conservation techniques, and patient-centered care.