Your hospital’s blood management program may be perfect, but too late! Preoperative anemia treatment might be the “missing link.”

Dr. Aryeh Shander

Dr. Aryeh Shander

Sure, you’ve got a Patient Blood Management program (You do, right? I hope so!). You’ve lowered your hemoglobin threshold for red cell transfusion, you’ve posted cute signs saying, “Why give 2 when 1 will do?” to encourage single unit red cell transfusions, and you might have even succeeded in reducing ridiculous daily blood draws. However, most facilities ignore what may be the most important part of PBM: Many patients arrive for their surgery ALREADY ANEMIC, and the pre-operative anemia can have serious consequences! Dr. Aryeh Shander is passionate about showing you why the missing part of PBM is one of the most essential.

BBGuy and SABM

This episode is the second in my “friendly collaboration” with the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management. I am very grateful to Dr. Carolyn Burns from SABM for helping to arrange this interview. SABM is helping chart the course toward more effective PBM strategies, and I highly recommend you check out their resources and web site.

Dr. Aryeh Shander

Dr. Aryeh Shander

Sure, you’ve got a Patient Blood Management program (You do, right? I hope so!). You’ve lowered your hemoglobin threshold for red cell transfusion, you’ve posted cute signs saying, “Why give 2 when 1 will do?” to encourage single unit red cell transfusions, and you might have even succeeded in reducing ridiculous daily blood draws. However, most facilities ignore what may be the most important part of PBM: Many patients arrive for their surgery ALREADY ANEMIC, and the pre-operative anemia can have serious consequences! Dr. Aryeh Shander is passionate about showing you why the missing part of PBM is one of the most essential.

BBGuy and SABM

This episode is the second in my “friendly collaboration” with the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management. I am very grateful to Dr. Carolyn Burns from SABM for helping to arrange this interview. SABM is helping chart the course toward more effective PBM strategies, and I highly recommend you check out their resources and web site.

The real question is not whether a transfusion was “appropriate.”
The real question is whether a transfusion was “AVOIDABLE.”
Aryeh Shander, MD

About My Guest:

Aryeh Shander, M.D., FCCM, FCCP, is the Emeritus Chair, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Pain Management and Hyperbaric Medicine at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, NJ. He is an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Medicine, and Surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City and Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at Rutgers Medical School. Dr. Shander is the Executive Medical Director of The Institute for Patient Blood Management and Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at Englewood Hospital.

Dr. Shander lectures nationally and internationally on a variety of topics. His publications have appeared in numerous prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals. He is the author/editor of multiple book chapters and a contributor to numerous textbooks on blood management.

He is Past President of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM) and is a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine and the American College of Chest Physicians. Dr. Shander is a founding member of the Board of Directors and was a Past President for National Anemia Action Council (NAAC). In 1997 Dr. Shander was recognized by Time magazine as one of America’s “Heroes of Medicine.” In 2018, Dr. Shander was the recipient of the International PBM Implementation Award from the Patient Blood Management European Network.

Dr. Shander received his medical degree from the University Of Vermont College Of Medicine and completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York, where he also served as Chief Resident. Additional postgraduate training included a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine and a residency in Anesthesiology, both at Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Shander is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Anesthesiology and Hyperbaric Medicine.

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. Shander nor I have any relevant financial disclosures.

Further Reading:

Music Credit

Music for this episode is by Mar Virtual via the Free Music Archive. Click the image below for permissions and license details.
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