Description

Transfusions of red blood cells (RBCs), platelets and plasma are critical therapies for pediatric and neonatal populations. Developing premature infants, neonates, children and adolescents do not have the same physiology as adults. Pediatric transfusion medicine (PTM) practice is largely guided by clinical data generated from adult populations. This educational session will highlight current pediatric transfusion practices using big data tools, compare/contrast transfusion practices between community and academic hospitals, and free-standing children's hospitals versus smaller children's centers within adult hospitals in US. The available collaborative networks will be reviewed and the available data from RCT’s in Pediatric and Neonatal transfusion research will be described, as will the international collaborative networks like PALISI and BloodNet and the role of observational data and point prevalence studies in advancing Pediatric Transfusion Medicine research given the limitations. Lastly, the efforts underway which will help shape the future of PTM will be discussed, including the program design and overall research aims of NHLBI funded study, REDSIV-P, the completed pediatric and neonatal data available from REDS III analyses, and the scope of the various research protocols within REDS IV with examples of ongoing studies.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the current Big Data applications and national trends and epidemiology in pediatric transfusion
• Recognize the available RCT’s and the role of collaborative networks and in enhancing pediatric or neonatal transfusion medicine research
• Appraise the vision of the Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Program - (REDS-IV-Pediatrics)

Speaker(s):

• Dr. Ruchika Goel, M.D., MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Cassandra D. Josephson, MD, Emory University School of Medicine
• Dr. Oliver Karam, MD, PhD, University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine