A delegation was organized by China International Transfusion Infection Control (CITIC) to participate in the AABB annual meeting and to visit blood services in the US from the 7th to 19th, October 2017. The ten delegates were from Shanghai Blood Center, Chongqing Blood Center, Jiangsu Provincial Blood Center, Zhejiang Provincial Blood Center and Shenzhen Blood Center.
During the AABB annual meeting in San Diego from October 7th to 10th, the delegates joined sessions on blood bank management, TTID, bacterial detection in platelets, and immunohematology.
After the meeting, the delegation then visited Stanford Blood Center, Transfusion Medicine Service of Stanford University Medical Center, Laboratory of Creative Testing Solutions (CTS) in Phoenix, and New York Blood Center. The delegation learned all detailed vein to vein processes from blood collection from the donors to the blood products to be transfused to the patients in the US. The delegation was warmly welcomed by COO of Stanford Blood Center, Dr. Jonathan Bautista; Medical Director of Transfusion Medicine Service of Stanford University Medical Center, Dr. Hua Shan; Vice President of CTS, Dr. Phillip Williamson; and Director of Marketing of Blood, Laboratory and Medical Services in New York Blood Center, Dr. Richard Miller-Murphy. The visit improved communication between China and the US on blood availability and transfusion safety.
Reported by Xun WANG
Edited by Kurt Lee
