Molecular testing is everywhere in medicine today, and the blood bank is no exception! Meghan Delaney offers 7 practical uses for molecular testing in Transfusion Medicine.

Dr. Meghan Delaney

Dr. Meghan Delaney

You can hardly turn around in health care today without hearing someone talking about genetic testing (just to confuse people, such testing is more formally known as “molecular diagnostics” or “molecular testing”). In the blood bank, molecular testing is available right now, and it can really impact our day-to-day practice.

Meghan Delaney works right on the cutting edge of molecular testing. At the time of this interview, she was overseeing both a hospital transfusion service and an AABB-accredited immunohematology reference laboratory. Her unique experience allows her a great perspective on who should be using this testing and how it all fits together. This is a really enlightening discussion that may just open your eyes to some new possibilities!

Dr. Meghan Delaney

Dr. Meghan Delaney

You can hardly turn around in health care today without hearing someone talking about genetic testing (just to confuse people, such testing is more formally known as “molecular diagnostics” or “molecular testing”). In the blood bank, molecular testing is available right now, and it can really impact our day-to-day practice.

Meghan Delaney works right on the cutting edge of molecular testing. At the time of this interview, she was overseeing both a hospital transfusion service and an AABB-accredited immunohematology reference laboratory. Her unique experience allows her a great perspective on who should be using this testing and how it all fits together. This is a really enlightening discussion that may just open your eyes to some new possibilities!

About My Guest:

Meghan Delaney, DO, MPH is now Chief of the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC. At the time of this interview, she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Washington, Medical Director for the Immunohematology and Red Cell Genomics Reference Laboratory at Bloodworks Northwest, and Medical Director of the transfusion service at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Delaney chairs or serves on multiple committees for AABB, ASFA, and CAP. She is an Associate Editor for the journal Transfusion Medicine, and is on the editorial board of Transfusion. She is an Associate Scientific Member of the BEST Collaborative.

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. Neither Dr. Delaney nor I have any relevant financial disclosures.

The images below are generously provided by Dr. Meghan Delaney.

Delaney Slide 1 - Case 1 Description
Delaney Slide 2 - Weak vs Partial D
Delaney Slide 3 - Genotyping for this patient (Weak D type 3)
Delaney Slide 4 - What did this?
Delaney Slide 5 - Genotyping recommendation flowchart
Delaney Slide 6 - Case 2/3 Description
Delaney Slide 7 - Sickle cell patients have unexplained antibodies
Delaney Slide 8 - RhD/CE hybrid allele
Delaney Slide 9 - What caused this?
Delaney Slide 10 - Case 4 Description
Delaney Slide 11 - Warm autoantibody workup options
Delaney Slide 12 - What caused this?
Delaney Slide 13 - Case 5 Description
Delaney Slide 14 - Comparison of serology and molecular testing routinely available
Delaney Slide 15 - Case 6 Description
Delaney Slide 16 - Testing options with positive maternal anti-D
Delaney Slide 17 - Non-invasive fetal DNA testing
Delaney Slide 18 - Molecular testing in blood donors
Delaney Slide 19 - Indications chart (excellent!)

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