A comprehensive guide to each component of a quality assurance programme for blood transfusion services, whether established in a small hospital blood bank or a large transfusion centre. 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 each procedure. The first chapter explains the importance of meticulous records and documents. Chapter two 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.
The remaining chapters cover the testing and quality assurance of blood components, and describe the roles of transfusion committees and audits. A comprehensive guide to the principles and procedures involved in establishing or reorganizing a national blood transfusion service in developing countries. Focused on organizational principles rather than technical details, the book responds to both the growing clinical need for safe and effective blood products and the many problems inherent in the organization of a transfusion service. Guidelines and advice draw upon several clear examples of successes and failures taken from international experiences in the difficult process of establishing a new transfusion service. The book has nine chapters.