A comprehensive, authoritative guide to each component of a quality assurance programme for blood transfusion services, whether established in a small hospital blood bank or in a transfusion centre dedicated to the large-scale production of blood components. Measures described are intended to ensure the maximum safety of all procedures for donors, recipients, and the staff themselves. Arguing that a system of quality assurance should be implemented in all transfusion services and blood banks, the book emphasizes the vital importance of strict quality control procedures at each stage of eah procedure, from the recruitment of donors to the monitoring of the appropriate use of blood or its components for recipients. Information ranges from indicators of successful donor selection and retention, through advice on situations where autologous collections are practical and appropriate, to the reasons why a quality assurance programme must demonstrate its cost-effectiveness in terms of savings and benefits. Throughout the book, a particular effort is made to identify measures for objectively assessing and recording the quality of specific procedures. Measures that can reduce costs and waste are also considered. The book has eight main chapters. The first explains the importance of meticulous records and documents as a means of protecting against errors, ensuring consistent quality of performance, and providing an opportunity to trace all steps in all procedures, both prospectively and retrospectively. The establishment of standard operating procedures, and strict adherence to them, are singled out as crucial to the achievement of reliable, reproducible performance. Standard operating procedures are given further attention in the second chapter, which outlines nine elements that must be included in all standard operating procedures and sets out requirements for their implementation. Subsequent chapters describe measures for quality assurance in donor selection and blood collection. A chapter focused on the responsibilities of laboratories outlines laboratory tests for quality control and quality monitoring and sets out, in tabular form, specific requirements for the quality control of ABO grouping, Rh(D) blood group reagents, HBsAg testing, anti-HIV testing, and syphilis testing. Advice on criteria of acceptability and the frequency of the quality control is also provided. The remaining chapters cover the testing and quality assurance of blood components, describe the roles of transfusion committees and audits, and point out the specific responsibilities and tasks of management.

eng fre rus spa.

bul ita.

WHODOC

WHO monograph

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