Practical Transfusion Medicine for the Small Animal Practitioner

Carolyn A. Sink

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9781119187677
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Veterinary Medicine

Practical Transfusion Medicine for the Small Animal Practitioner, Second Edition provides clinically oriented guidance on all aspects of blood banking, compatibility testing, and patient blood management for dogs and cats.

• Presents procedures for blood collection, processing, and storage in the veterinary setting
• Describes blood components and their key uses
• Provides an overview of blood collection techniques and systems, emphasizing popular configurations for veterinary blood products
• Offers concise and comprehensive guidelines for veterinary professionals to ensure the overall quality of the service
• Includes access to a companion website with full-color images from the book available in PowerPoint

Chapter 1
The Blood Donor

Introduction

Blood donors are vital to the success of any transfusion service, and veterinary blood banks depend on qualified donors to provide the blood necessary to meet the needs of the patients they serve. Donors may be a part of an in‐clinic or community‐based program, but to attract and maintain owner participation in either program it is essential that the blood donor qualification and donation process be as organized, pleasant, and convenient as possible. Established methods to produce safe products and maintain donor health are essential.

Owner Recruitment

Enlisting owners to volunteer their pet as a blood donor can be as simple as expressing the need. This can be done by mentioning the need for blood donors to clients or could include utilizing social media, websites, and posting notices in the lobby of veterinary clinics. Whether the donor will be part of an in‐clinic or community‐based program, many veterinary blood donor programs offer incentives to owners as compensation for time spent scheduling donations, transporting their pet to and from donations, or any other related activity (Table 1.1).

Table 1.1 Incentives to recruit and maintain veterinary blood donors

Free donor vaccines

Free or discounted initial and annual blood donor physical exam

Blood product discount for participants

Dog spa or overnight boarding discount

Grooming services

Free or discounted pet food and/or treats

Good communication is imperative to the success of any blood donor program, and it is beneficial to define and communicate owner expectations during the blood donor qualification process. Suggestions for the contents of a written participation agreement can be found in Table 1.2. Standardized forms should be completed for enrollment of potential blood donors (Wardrop et al., 2016); see Tables 1.3 and 1.4. Organizing staff members to coordinate and oversee donor recruitment, blood collection, and donor maintenance will streamline and contribute to the overall effectiveness of the blood donor process.

Table 1.2 Blood donor owner expectations

Source: Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital (2012).

Obligations and benefits of the blood donor program are pending until the animal is accepted into the program

The owner agrees to bring the donor to phlebotomy location at the scheduled time for x times per year and once per year for the annual blood donor examination

At the end of the year if total number of donations does not exceed x or if the owner withdraws the animal before making at least x donations, the owner may be billed for the general physical exam and blood testing

If a donor’s temperament is too difficult for continued phlebotomy on more than one occasion or if the owner is deemed uncooperative, the owner will be notified of their removal from the program. The owner will not be billed for any previous physical exams or blood tests relating to the blood donor program

The physical examination and laboratory tests necessary to qualify and maintain the animal as a blood donor are performed at no cost to the owner

Animals whose physical examination or laboratory results reveal a need for further diagnostic testing and/or medical treatment will not be accepted into the blood donor program. The owner may reapply to the blood donor program after the animal is declared healthy

The ow...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• About the Companion Website
• Chapter 1: The Blood Donor
• Chapter 2: Blood Collection
• Chapter 3: Blood Products Overview
• Chapter 4: Clinical Considerations in Transfusion Practice
• Chapter 5: Adverse Effects of Blood Transfusion
• Chapter 6: Methods and Storage
• Chapter 7: Quality Assurance
• Index
• End User License Agreement