Dr. Connie Westhoff from the New York Blood Center outlines D variant types (weak and partial D in particular) and describes a way to manage pregnant ladies and transfusion recipients with this serologic type.

Dr. Magali Fontaine from the University of Maryland joins Joe Chaffin to discuss several challenging transfusion service issues and possible new solutions. Topics include CMV, platelet choices in refractory patients, ABO issues with platelets, and age of blood.

Dr. Anne Eder, Chief Blood Services at the National Institutes of Health, joins Dr. Chaffin to discuss Septic Transfusion Reactions. In this episode, Dr. Eder discusses the ways that blood centers limit and detect bacterial contamination of apheresis platelet products, signs and symptoms of septic transfusion reactions, and how transfusion services and clinicians can work together for early diagnosis and treatment of these potentially deadly reactions.

Dr. Pat Kopko from UC-San Diego talks with Joe Chaffin about a practical (and quick!) approach to patients refractory to platelet transfusion. She outlines a strategy to get maximum benefit to the patient as quickly as possible.

Dr. Yazer helps explode some of the persistent misconceptions that blood bankers and clinicians have about whole blood-derived platelets. Currently, 90% or more of platelets transfused in the U.S. come from apheresis collections, and most blood centers do not use whole blood derived platelets. Dr. Yazer discusses the differences and surprising similarities between the two types of platelet product.

This episode is an introduction to the vision and structure of the Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast, a new venture from Joe Chaffin, MD.