Platelet transfusion is fraught with life-threatening hazards, and its efficacy is far from established. Neil Blumberg, MD, explains what is wrong with platelet transfusion in a lecture reflecting decades of experience as a clinician, researcher and teacher.
Dr Neil Blumberg is the Director of the Transfusion Medicine Division and Blood Bank of an 880 bed university hospital and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA. He received BS and MD from Yale University in New Haven, CT and had his Residency training in laboratory medicine, hematology and blood banking at Yale New Haven Hospital. Dr Blumberg’s particular interest is in transfusion immunology having participated in research into the previously unappreciated immunologic effects known as transfusion immunomodulation. His clinical interests are in the diagnosis and treatment of immune disorders such as autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, supportive care for stem cell and solid organ transplantation, and mitigating transfusion side effects through leukoreduction, use of autologous transfusions and removal of stored supernatant through washing. His group, co-led by Dr. Joanna M. Heal MRCP, described the ill effects of transfusing ABO incompatible soluble antigen and antibody.
