Academy
A paradigm shift towards evidence-based transfusion medicine
ISBT Academy Supported a 5-day training course on “Practical Immunohaematology in Transfusion Medicine” hosted by the IMDC Blood Donor Society, in Pakistan from the 26th of February to the 1st of March 2024.
Practical group exercise - each participant was provided with the opportunity to perform at least one procedure
The duration of the course was 30-hours in total. This course was endorsed by the State Health Ministry as an officially recognized training programme in the field of blood banking. The course involved theoretical and practical application of blood banking procedures including blood grouping, cross-matching, antibody screening and -identification.
Transfusion indications and reactions were also covered. Quality assurance in blood banking practices was emphasized to raise participants' awareness on the importance of blood transfusion safety. Main topics included: RBC blood groups, blood group typing, cross-matching, anti-body screening and identification, blood products (indication and contraindication), transfusion reactions, haemovigilance, and quality control. In addition, discrepancies of blood groups and troubleshooting procedures were explained practically. Each participant was provided an opportunity to perform at least one procedure in front of the group.
The training programme was designed to accommodate a cohort of 30 participants, encompassing technologists, QC managers, postgraduate residents, supervisors, and haematologists. This diverse group was evenly split, with half representing local participants from Islamabad and the remaining half hailing from outstation areas. These outstation participants included representatives from regional blood centres in Muzaffarabad, Bahawalpur, Abbottabad, Swat, Quetta and associated hospital blood banks.
Pre- and post-course assessments were performed to have systematic collection of information and analysis about the participants’ learning. Participants were given a questionnaire with 25 multiple-choice questions at the beginning and at the end of the training. Overall, the knowledge after the post-course assessment was raised from 59.5% to 81%.
Attendees at a course lecture
To facilitate optimal preparation, all participants received a pre-course email. This email included essential resources such as lectures, case studies, national standards, national guidelines, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) pertaining to blood group serology. These materials were intended to equip participants with foundational knowledge and insights in advance of the course.
In Pakistan, the provision of red cell antibody detection tests and identification procedures that adhere to internationally accepted standards is only available in a limited number of blood centres within the private sector. Given that this constitutes a fundamental requirement for ensuring the availability of "safe blood," the subject course/workshop had significant importance. The proposed workshop was an important contribution to building the capacity of the participants in our region to understand the significance of the red cell serology in transfusion medicine.
A participant of the course received a Certificate of Participation
The workshop was evaluated before the concluding session through an Evaluation Questionnaire template. The feedback will be used to further improve the capacity building programmes of the society.
