Textbook of Blood Banking and Transfusion Technology, Volume 2

Completion of this second volume brings the student to the threshold of full professional practice as a blood bank technician. From donor screening and blood collection to component preparation, compatibility testing, transfusion monitoring, reaction workup, quality assurance and ethical conduct, the major responsibilities of the technician have been outlined in a structured, practical manner. In day-to-day work, a donor’s history must be properly understood and samples and components must be handled keeping it in mind. A transfusion reaction must be approached systematically, integrating immunohematology, clinical assessment and laboratory investigation. When used together, the two volumes will integrate basic science with its application in the blood center and on the patient. Transfusion medicine will continue to change, with advances in apheresis, pathogen reduction, cellular therapies and information systems. Yet the central promise of the blood bank technician remains unchanged—to provide safe, effective blood and components to those who need them, with competence, vigilance and integrity. It is hoped that these two volumes will accompany readers not only during examinations and early postings, but also as a reassuring reference whenever a complex case, an unexpected result or a difficult decision calls them back to basic principles.