Plasma transfusion is not as easy as it sounds! Over half of transfusions have been shown to be unnecessary, and Jeannie Callum can help change how you think about transfusing plasma.

Dr. Jeannie Callum

Dr. Jeannie Callum

Numerous studies and audits have shown that plasma transfusion is not really done very well! You want proof? Audits and previously published work shows that as many as 50% of plasma transfusions are either unnecessary or inappropriate! Why is it so hard, and what can we do to help make it better?

Jeannie Callum to the rescue!

Dr. Jeannie Callum from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto, Ontario joins me to discuss appropriate plasma transfusion practices. Jeannie has written and lectured extensively on the appropriate use of plasma, not only in the setting of prophylaxis for bedside procedures, but also in a variety of other clinical settings. She shares lots of information with us about new thoughts and methods in plasma transfusion, including the very important understanding that coagulation assay results MUST be interpreted in the clinical context. Dr. Callum also goes over five case examples that illustrate challenging aspects of plasma transfusion, including cases describing bedside procedures, warfarin correction, plasma use in liver failure and sepsis/DIC, and what role (if any) plasma plays in bleeding patients taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). This is a superb episode! Don’t miss it!

Dr. Jeannie Callum

Dr. Jeannie Callum

Numerous studies and audits have shown that plasma transfusion is not really done very well! You want proof? Audits and previously published work shows that as many as 50% of plasma transfusions are either unnecessary or inappropriate! Why is it so hard, and what can we do to help make it better?

Jeannie Callum to the rescue!

Dr. Jeannie Callum from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto, Ontario joins me to discuss appropriate plasma transfusion practices. Jeannie has written and lectured extensively on the appropriate use of plasma, not only in the setting of prophylaxis for bedside procedures, but also in a variety of other clinical settings. She shares lots of information with us about new thoughts and methods in plasma transfusion, including the very important understanding that coagulation assay results MUST be interpreted in the clinical context. Dr. Callum also goes over five case examples that illustrate challenging aspects of plasma transfusion, including cases describing bedside procedures, warfarin correction, plasma use in liver failure and sepsis/DIC, and what role (if any) plasma plays in bleeding patients taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). This is a superb episode! Don’t miss it!

About My Guest:

Jeannie L. Callum, MD, FRCPC, is a Transfusion Medicine Specialist and Hematologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto and associate professor of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. She is the Director of Utilization for the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Diagnostics. She also serves as the sponsor lead for the Ontario Regional Blood Coordinating Network for Central Ontario.

Dr. Callum earned her medical degree and completed a fellowship in internal medicine at the University of Toronto. In addition, she received transfusion medicine fellowship training with Canadian Blood Services. She has written extensively about issues in Transfusion Medicine, publishing more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and authoring numerous book chapters. She also was the lead author on the Provincial (Ontario) transfusion handbook titled “Bloody Easy,” now in its fourth edition (if you don’t have it already, go to transfusionontario.org and get a free download!). In addition, she is on the editorial board for the “Transfusion Medicine Reviews” and “Transfusion” journals.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed on this episode are those of my guest and I alone, and do not reflect those of the organizations with which either of us is affiliated. Dr. Callum wants you to know that her research is funded by Canadian Blood Services and ORBCON. She is the site PI on trials funded by CSL Behring, and materials in kind from TEM international (ROTEM). She is also site PI on a cardiac surgery trial to be funded by Octapharma. Neither Dr. Callum nor I have any additional relevant financial disclosures.

The images below are generously provided by Dr. Callum.

J. Callum Slide 1 - Key points
J. Callum Slide 2 - Unnecessary plasma
J. Callum slide 3 - FFP ineffective below INR 1.8
J. Callum Slide 4 - Jeannie's recommendations
J. Callum slide 5 - Liver bx bleeding not correlated with lab results
J. Callum slide 6 - PCC vs FFP for warfarin reversal (Cost is for Canada)
J. Callum Slide 7 - IV vitamin K is safe
J. Callum Slide 8 - Warfarin resistance after vitamin K?

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