Subject: MD2011 Module: Haematology and Renal Medicine Weekly Overview

MODULE HRM, Week 3 : Transfusion Medicine: blood groups and transfusion of

blood and blood products

Contact
A/Prof Catherine Rush: catherine.rush@jcu.edu.au
Please email for appointments
Appointments available Wednesday 2.30-5pm and Thursday 3-5pm
Office location: 87-032 (Biomedicine)

Learning Overview
This session will introduce you to transfusion medicine and provide an overview of the different
blood groups, the need for blood group typing, indications for blood transfusion, blood and
blood products, blood donation, complications of blood transfusion, prevention of transfusion
transmissible diseases and haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN).

Key Words
blood groups, ABO system, Rh group, blood collection and storage, blood products, erythrocytes,
plasma, plasma products, platelets, crossmatching, blood transfusion, immunological
complications of blood transfusion, infections transmissible by transfusion, transfusion medicine,
haemolytic disease of the newborn.

INTRODUCTORY SESSION
Blood groups and transfusion of blood and blood products

Preparation
Revision of relevant sections on erythrocytes covered in HRM

GLS
Practical Session – Blood Group Typing (Location: 94-108, Biomedicine precinct)
Preparation
You will be expected to handle biological material and you should be familiar with safety issues
involving the handling of biological samples. This GLS is a practical session. You will be working
in a PC2 laboratory: 94-108. You will handle biological material (human blood) and you should
be familiar with safety issues involving the handling of biological samples. Those who turn up
without enclosed shoes will not be allowed to enter the laboratory. This practical is a Sign-in
Session.

Prior to the practical students must have completed the online lab induction for laboratory 94-
108 to be able to access laboratory. Students should attend the session time allocated to each
home group.

The GLS will be organised as follows:

Home groups 1‐7 14.00‐16.00 (94-108)
Home groups 8‐13 16.30‐18.30 (94-108)
Home groups 14‐20 19.00‐21.00 (94-108)

Learning overview
In this session, you will learn how to determine the blood groups using a simple tile agglutination
technique. You will determine the blood group of human blood samples provided. You should
Last updated 4th March 2020
determine blood group compatibility between several donors and a recipient and investigate a
suspected case of HDN.

Learning activities
You will work in small groups. You will determine the blood group of human blood samples. Each
group will be given samples of human blood for typing and determination of ABO and RhD type.
You will be required to observe the reactions and interpret the results. You are expected to
complete the answers in the workbook provided.

SYNTHESISING SESSION
Preparation
Revision of material covered in the material during the Introductory Session and GLS for Week
3 for this subject.

Learning Overview
The aims of this session are:
1. To review the clinical significance of blood transfusion
2. To understand the basic issues regarding side effects and complications following blood
transfusion

Learning Resources
• Hoffbrand's Essential Haematology 2016 7th Ed. Chapter 30. Blood Transfusion, and
Chapter 31 Pregnancy and Paediatric Haematology.
• Red Cross Transfusion website is an excellent online resource for transfusion-related
learning materials : https://transfusion.com.au

Last updated 4th March 2020