Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast

By Joe Chaffin, MD

What's Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast about?

Dr. Joe Chaffin from the "Blood Bank Guy" website takes his light-hearted approach to a transfusion medicine interview show, discussing essential topics with educational leaders. You'll smile, have fun, and never EVER stop learning!

5.0

104104 ratings

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast episodes:

08.11.2023
103: Glaucomflecken! with Will and Kristin Flanary
Dr. Will Flanary is an ophthalmologist and stand-up comic who moonlights as the hilarious “Dr. Glaucomflecken” on social media. The Glaucomflecken videos have earned him an enormous worldwide following, as he has gently parodied physicians of many specialties (including pathology)....
06.23.2023
102CE: Learn to Speak "Reference Lab" with Jan Hamilton
Continuing Education episode! Understanding reference lab techniques like adsorption, elution, and enzymes feels like learning a new language! Jan Hamilton is here with an incredible teaching interview to help you learn to speak “reference lab.” This episode is eligible for...
05.05.2023
101CE: Look Before You Leap with Rich Haspel
Continuing education episode! Advances in the practice of Transfusion Medicine happen regularly, and it can be difficult for both learners and those with more experience to keep up with the latest information. Further, many learners (and more “seasoned” types!) lack...
03.29.2023
100CE: Pearls of Wisdom
CE episode! To celebrate the 100th episode of Blood Bank Guy Essentials, Dr. Chaffin invites multiple previous guests (plus one brand new one!) to share brief "Pearls of Wisdom" with you. Learners of every level are sure to find Transfusion...
02.01.2023
099: Rh Immune Globulin (Teaching Episode)
Rh Immune Globulin prevents at-risk moms from making anti-D, but calculating proper dose can be challenging. In fact, numerous reports have suggested that we mess this up a lot! This episode is a teaching session with me and one of...
07.18.2022
098CE: "Simply REDS" with Steve Kleinman and Cassandra Josephson
Continuing education episode! If a research project has been going on for over 30 years, you would think it's probably pretty good, right? Well, that's how long the REDS research project, sponsored by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood...
06.29.2022
097CE: Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution (ANH) with Steve Frank
Continuing education episode! For decades, medical personnel have been aware of the technique of “Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution (ANH),” the collection of blood immediately before surgery followed by infusion near the end. Dr. Steve Frank and his colleagues in the Bloodless...
03.30.2022
096CE: Navigating Blood Shortages with Claudia Cohn
Continuing education episode! Blood shortages happen, but the one associated with COVID-19 is unique (and severe!). AABB Chief Medical Officer Dr. Claudia Cohn explains why and gives practical survival tips. This episode is eligible for FREE CME and Continuing Certification...
03.09.2022
095CE: What is Liquid Plasma? with Chris Gresens
Continuing education episode! Plasma product names are confusing, but few are as misunderstood as Liquid Plasma. Dr. Chris Gresens explains why LP might be perfect for your transfusion service. This episode is eligible for FREE CME and Continuing Certification credit...
03.02.2022
094CE: Thalassemia Essentials with Sujit Sheth
Continuing education episode! When most United States-based healthcare providers think of a hemoglobinopathy, sickle cell disease is the first to come to mind. That is understandable, given how frequently that disease is present in the US. However, worldwide, the various...
10.13.2021
093CE: The Mighty MMA with Sandy Nance
Continuing education episode! Usually, red cell alloantibodies are simple (find an antibody, give antigen-negative blood), but occasionally, some of them don't follow the rules! "Antibodies of variable clinical significance" act differently in different patients, sometimes causing hemolysis and sometimes not....
10.06.2021
092: When Platelet Transfusion Might Not Be Wise with Ruchika Goel
Platelets have been used to save the lives of patients with low platelet counts for decades. For the most part, they are considered a safe and effective means to correct the problem of a patient not having enough platelets of...
06.02.2021
091: Wholly Whole Blood, the Sequel! with Mark Yazer
In 2017, Dr. Mark Yazer appeared on this podcast to discuss the burgeoning interest in “Low-titer Group O Whole Blood (LTOWB)” for massive transfusions, particularly in trauma settings. Since then, more data and experience are available to guide the use...
05.19.2021
090CE: RHD Genotyping; We Can do Better! with Sue Johnson
Despite guidance in a 2015 publication from international experts in immunohematology and transfusion medicine, many clinicians and laboratorians have yet to integrate RHD genotyping into routine practice when a patient’s RhD serologic typing is weaker than expected. In this interview,...
03.24.2021
089CE: The Transfused and the Breathless with Christine Cserti-Gazdewich
Transfusion reactions that involve the heart and/or lungs, especially TACO and TRALI, are responsible for more transfusion deaths than any other entity. In this interview, Dr. Cserti-Gazdewich focuses on these two reactions and gives tips and strategies to identify, manage,...
01.27.2021
088: Warm Autoantibody Best Practices with Alyssa Ziman and Meghan Delaney
Warm autoantibodies have a well-deserved reputation as tough challenges, creating unfamiliar situations for both clinical and laboratory staff. I interviewed the authors of two recent papers that outlined best practices in this situation to gain some clarity and help!
12.16.2020
087CE: Transfusion-transmitted Infections with Suchi Pandey
Blood transfusion is less likely to transmit infections today than ever. Through a combination of screening questions, donor testing, and direct treatment of blood products, the vast majority of opportunities for transfusion-transmitted infections are eliminated. In this learner-focused interview, Dr....
10.30.2020
086CE: Scary Stories from the Transfusion Service with Mark Fung and Jay Hudgins
Every now and then, the routine practice of Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine gets intimidating. A difficult patient situation arises here, an impossible choice looms there. What do you do when there are no easy answers? Drs Mark Fung and Jay Hudgins...
06.17.2020
085CE: What to do When Everything is Incompatible with Jill Storry
Every now and then, when a transfusion service does a pretransfusion workup, they find that the patient's plasma is incompatible with EVERY other red cell! In other words, NOTHING is compatible! These situations are intimidating, and can lead to delays...
05.04.2020
084: COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma with Pampee Young and Ralph Vassallo
Special episode! In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, does convalescent plasma from recovered patients offer fresh hope for those who are critically ill? The medical leaders of the two largest blood collectors in the US are here to help...
04.27.2020
083CE: Building the Perfect Transfusion Committee with Carolyn Burns
Let’s be honest: Some hospital transfusion committee meetings feel like a waste of time! However, Dr. Carolyn Burns thinks transfusion committees are not hopeless! In this interview, she outlines her practical steps for building the perfect transfusion committee. She discusses...
03.17.2020
082: COVID-19 and the Blood Supply with Louis Katz
In this emergency episode, recorded on March 16, 2020, I discuss actions blood collectors and hospitals should be thinking of now to preserve the US blood supply, as well as a look at the global COVID-19 pandemic. We also briefly...
03.11.2020
081CE: Top Ten Changes in the NEW AABB Standards with Rich Gammon
The 32nd edition of AABB Standards became effective in April 2020. Rich Gammon, Chair of the BBTS Standards Committee, is here with the Top 10 changes you need to know! From blood donors to recipients, these changes will keep you...
02.27.2020
080CE: Is This Donor "Safe?" with Mindy Goldman
Those who oversee blood collection organizations wrestle constantly with two questions: “How can I keep my blood donors safe?” and “How can I keep the recipients of the blood we are collecting safe?” These twin responsibilities shape decisions and policies...
01.30.2020
079: Pioneering Pathogen Reduction with Ray Goodrich
With the FDA's 2019 publication of their Final Guidance on how to prevent patients from receiving platelet products contaminated with bacteria, it finally feels like pathogen reduction technology is about to "get real" in the United States! There was a...
11.20.2019
078CE: Does That Patient REALLY Need Platelets? with Joe Sweeney
Far too many platelet transfusion decisions are made by evaluating a single laboratory value (the platelet count). Dr. Joe Sweeney believes we need more information to make better choices. Platelet transfusion decisions can be complex, and there is wide practice...
10.17.2019
077CE: Implementing Pathogen-reduced Platelets with Pat Kopko
On September 30, 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration released the long awaited final guidance on bacterial risk control in platelets (see episode 076 for more details). One way that transfusion services can fulfill the recommendations in the...
10.11.2019
076: FDA Platelet Bacteria Guidance with Pat Kopko
Over the past several years, the United States Food and Drug Administration has considered many proposals for how to decrease the risk that a vulnerable patient would receive a platelet transfusion containing bacteria. On September 30, 2019, FDA released their...
08.14.2019
075CE: What About Fibrinogen? with Melissa Cushing
Are we ignoring the most important coagulation factor when transfusing bleeding patients? Melissa Cushing thinks fibrinogen's contribution to survival of bleeding patients may be under-recognized. She describes the current evidence for early fibrinogen replacement in the bleeding patient, logistical challenges...
07.31.2019
074CE: Radioactive! with Chris Tormey
Transfusion-associated Graft-versus-Host Disease (TA-GVHD) is a notoriously deadly but thankfully rare transfusion complication. Blood banks have used irradiation of cellular blood products for decades to prevent TA-GVHD, but clinicians and laboratorians still sometimes misunderstand what irradiation does and does not...
07.10.2019
073: Implementing Trauma Whole Blood with David Oh and Mike Goodman
More and more trauma surgeons are asking their hospitals when they can get low-titer, cold-stored, group O whole blood ("trauma whole blood"). This product, discussed in depth in episode 040CE, is one that comes with lots of choices, and Drs....
06.26.2019
072CE: Neonatal Platelet Transfusion with Martha Sola-Visner
For decades, neonates (especially in the United States) have been given platelet transfusions at considerably higher platelet counts than thresholds used in adults. New data suggests, however, that "less may be more" when it comes to transfusing platelets to these...
06.19.2019
071: NEW Therapeutic Apheresis Guidelines with Nancy Dunbar
This month, the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) released a new version of their epic document called “Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice” in the Journal of Clinical Apheresis. It is, in many ways, the standard document that professionals...
06.05.2019
070CE: Preventing Alloantibodies in Sickle Cell Disease with Stella Chou
Alloimmunization after red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a huge challenge in the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). Even when donors and patients are "matched," anti-Rh antibodies in patients with sickle cell disease are formed way often than we...
05.22.2019
069CE: Preventing TRALI with Beth Shaz
Over the past 15 years, Transfusion-related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) has caused in more deaths than any other complication. Since many cases are caused by antibodies in blood donors, blood collection establishments around the world have taken numerous steps in...
05.13.2019
068: Transfusion in Cardiac Surgery with Pierre Tibi
Most blood bankers will tell you that cardiac surgery can lead to some of the most intense interactions between a transfusion service and an operating room. Over the decades, we have seen wide variations in how much blood surgeons transfuse,...
04.24.2019
067CE: Wiser Blood Management Choices with Carolyn Burns
It feels like everyone is talking about patient blood management. That's a GOOD thing, but does it really mean what they think it means? Dr. Carolyn Burns joins me to discuss "Five Things Patients and Physicians Should Question" regarding blood...
04.10.2019
066: IgA Deficiency and Anaphylactic Reactions with Jerry Sandler
Here's what we thought we knew: IgA deficiency leads to anaphylactic transfusion reactions. Not so fast! Dr. Gerald Sandler from Georgetown University noticed something when he was in charge of one of the US national reference labs: Hardly anyone with...
03.18.2019
065: Transfusion and Jehovah's Witnesses with Jed Gorlin
Jehovah's Witnesses refuse transfusion based on strong religious beliefs, but the "rules" can be confusing. Transfusion Medicine professionals are often called to help clinicians manage Witnesses' care (despite the fact that these patients will not accept most of what we...
02.27.2019
064CE: Granulocyte Transfusion with Ron Strauss
Granulocyte concentrate has been around for as long as apheresis platelets, but the product has come into and out of favor repeatedly over the years. While the most recent randomized trials were disappointing, Dr. Ron Strauss believes a closer look...
02.06.2019
063CE: Anti-CD47 Testing Interference with Connie Westhoff
Ever since the introduction of anti-CD38 (daratumumab, or DARA), blood bankers have been hearing about a new chemotherapy agent, anti-CD47, that would interfere far more in our testing than anti-CD38. Well, anti-CD47 is here (in trials), and it lives up...
01.18.2019
062CE: Autologous and Directed Donation with Julie Karp
For patients who might need blood transfusion, the ideas of donating their own blood (“autologous donation”) and/or choosing their blood donor (“directed donation”) seem VERY appealing! However, Dr. Julie Karp explains the good reasons why both special donation types are...
12.11.2018
061CE: Better AABB Assessments with Anne Chenoweth
You know all about AABB Standards, but how do you make them practical? Anne Chenoweth gives great tips to make your next assessment better! NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
11.13.2018
060CE: Transforming Inventory Management with Nancy Dunbar
Nancy Dunbar says a few simple adjustments to "the rules" we learned long ago could reduce shortages of O-neg RBCs, AB plasma, and platelets! NOTE: CE credit has expired for this episode.
10.29.2018
059: Antigen Matching for Future Moms with Meghan Delaney
A 25-year-old, A negative female needs blood. She will receive RhD-negative RBCs, of course, but what about antigen matching for Kell, or for other Rh antigens? Meghan Delaney explains her study, "AMIGO," in which she tried to determine if there...
10.03.2018
058CE: Transfusion and Blood Clots with Ruchika Goel
Venous thromboembolism after surgery is a huge problem, and we may have underestimated one big contributing factor: Red cell transfusion! Ruchika Goel and colleagues put together the first study to primarily address the role of perioperative red blood cell transfusions...
09.26.2018
057: Nonspecific Antibodies with Brenda Grossman
Isolated nonspecific reactions ("antibodies of undetermined specificity") on antibody workups can delay transfusions, but it may be impossible to determine whether or not they matter to the patient. Brenda Grossman explains possible causes and potential solutions when these annoying but...
09.04.2018
056CE: Transfusion in Liver Disease with Jeannie Callum
Patients with liver disease often have basic coagulation laboratory values that seem AWFUL, and as a result, they receive almost 1 in every 5 blood products transfused in hospitals! Jeannie Callum thinks that’s too much, and shows us how to...
08.17.2018
055CE: 2017 Critical Developments with Claudia Cohn and Melissa Cushing
"I never KNEW about that paper!" Most of us have felt that way when we miss some new Transfusion Medicine fact, especially early in our careers. In this interview, two of the editors of a synopsis of 2016-17 BB/TM literature...
08.01.2018
054: ABO Discrepancies with Nicole Draper
In the 2+ years I've been doing this podcast, more people have asked, "when are you doing ABO discrepancies?" than any other topic. Well, here you go! Let's learn the essentials with Dr. Nicole Draper, who loves ABO discrepancies! See...

What's Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast episodes:

103: Glaucomflecken! with Will and Kristin Flanary

102CE: Learn to Speak "Reference Lab" with Jan Hamilton

101CE: Look Before You Leap with Rich Haspel

100CE: Pearls of Wisdom

099: Rh Immune Globulin (Teaching Episode)

098CE: "Simply REDS" with Steve Kleinman and Cassandra Josephson

097CE: Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution (ANH) with Steve Frank

096CE: Navigating Blood Shortages with Claudia Cohn

095CE: What is Liquid Plasma? with Chris Gresens

094CE: Thalassemia Essentials with Sujit Sheth

093CE: The Mighty MMA with Sandy Nance

092: When Platelet Transfusion Might Not Be Wise with Ruchika Goel

091: Wholly Whole Blood, the Sequel! with Mark Yazer

090CE: RHD Genotyping; We Can do Better! with Sue Johnson

089CE: The Transfused and the Breathless with Christine Cserti-Gazdewich

088: Warm Autoantibody Best Practices with Alyssa Ziman and Meghan Delaney

087CE: Transfusion-transmitted Infections with Suchi Pandey

086CE: Scary Stories from the Transfusion Service with Mark Fung and Jay Hudgins

085CE: What to do When Everything is Incompatible with Jill Storry

084: COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma with Pampee Young and Ralph Vassallo

083CE: Building the Perfect Transfusion Committee with Carolyn Burns

082: COVID-19 and the Blood Supply with Louis Katz

081CE: Top Ten Changes in the NEW AABB Standards with Rich Gammon

080CE: Is This Donor "Safe?" with Mindy Goldman

079: Pioneering Pathogen Reduction with Ray Goodrich

078CE: Does That Patient REALLY Need Platelets? with Joe Sweeney

077CE: Implementing Pathogen-reduced Platelets with Pat Kopko

076: FDA Platelet Bacteria Guidance with Pat Kopko

075CE: What About Fibrinogen? with Melissa Cushing

074CE: Radioactive! with Chris Tormey

073: Implementing Trauma Whole Blood with David Oh and Mike Goodman

072CE: Neonatal Platelet Transfusion with Martha Sola-Visner

071: NEW Therapeutic Apheresis Guidelines with Nancy Dunbar

070CE: Preventing Alloantibodies in Sickle Cell Disease with Stella Chou

069CE: Preventing TRALI with Beth Shaz

068: Transfusion in Cardiac Surgery with Pierre Tibi

067CE: Wiser Blood Management Choices with Carolyn Burns

066: IgA Deficiency and Anaphylactic Reactions with Jerry Sandler

065: Transfusion and Jehovah's Witnesses with Jed Gorlin

064CE: Granulocyte Transfusion with Ron Strauss

063CE: Anti-CD47 Testing Interference with Connie Westhoff

062CE: Autologous and Directed Donation with Julie Karp

061CE: Better AABB Assessments with Anne Chenoweth

060CE: Transforming Inventory Management with Nancy Dunbar

059: Antigen Matching for Future Moms with Meghan Delaney

058CE: Transfusion and Blood Clots with Ruchika Goel

057: Nonspecific Antibodies with Brenda Grossman

056CE: Transfusion in Liver Disease with Jeannie Callum

055CE: 2017 Critical Developments with Claudia Cohn and Melissa Cushing

054: ABO Discrepancies with Nicole Draper

Other shows like Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast: