Clinical Practice Resources

AABB, with the valued assistance of its expert member committees, develops a variety of resources to help guide professionals in keeping abreast of clinical issues in transfusion medicine. AABB is a leader in producing clinical practice guidelines for utilization of blood components in the U.S. and internationally. In addition, the association develops informational documents and guidance regarding a wide range of clinical and technical topics facing transfusion medicine professionals.

COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma: 2022 Clinical Practice Guidelines from AABB

Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, these guidelines reflect the most up-to-date published evidence available, and replace the interim recommendations from early 2021. The AABB Board of Directors commissioned a committee of experts to draft clinical practice guidelines. Consistent with previous clinical practice guidelines from AABB, the committee performed a formal systematic review and meta-analysis of the data and used GRADE methodology to formulate the current recommendations. The committee focused exclusively on randomized clinical trial data to minimize the risk of bias.

Red Blood Cell Transfusion: 2023 AABB International Guidelines

Updated guidelines, published in JAMA and developed by an international panel of experts led by AABB, recommended a restrictive red blood cell transfusion strategy for most patient populations, but emphasized the importance of considering individual signs & symptoms and clinical contexts when deciding on transfusion. These updated guidelines are based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 45 randomized clinical trials for adults and seven for pediatric populations.

Clinical Practice Guidelines

• Red Blood Cell Transfusion: 2023 AABB International Guidelines (JAMA; Oct. 12, 2023)
• Clinical Practice Guidelines From the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB): COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma | Annals of Internal Medicine (acpjournals.org)
• Clarifying the Emergency Use Authorization Framework for COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma: Considerations for Clinicians – Prepared Jointly by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and AABB
• Platelet Transfusion: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the AABB (Annals of Internal Medicine; November 11, 2014)
• Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines for Plasma Transfusion (Transfusion 2010;50:1227-39)
  

Guidance

• Saline Supply Shortage - AABB's Clinical Transfusion Medicine Committee Considerations for Mitigation
  • Toolkit of Additional Resources to Consider
• THOR-AABB Working Party Recommendations for a Prehospital Blood Product Transfusion Program
• Quality Toolkit
• Guidance to Standard 5.14.5 of the Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services
• The Plasmapedia - A Comprehensive Review of All Available Plasma Products (members-only content)
  
• Questions and Answers About Pathogen-Reduced Apheresis Platelet Components
  
• Association Bulletin #16-02 - Mitigating the Anti-CD38 Interference with Serologic Testing
  
• Association Bulletin #15-02 - Transfusion-Associated Circulatory Overload (TACO)
  
• Association Bulletin #14-04 - Clinical Recognition and Investigation of Suspected Bacterial Contamination of Platelets
  
• Association Bulletin #14-02 - TRALI Risk Mitigation for Plasma and Whole Blood for Allogeneic Transfusion
  
• Information Piece: Alternatives to Transfusable Single-Donor Plasma Components
  
• Joint Statement on Phasing-In RHD Genotyping for Pregnant Women and Other Females of Childbearing Potential with a Serologic Weak D Phenotype
  
• Infection Control for Handling Specimens from Suspected Ebola Patients