Guidelines and Principles for Safe Blood Transfusion Practice - Module 1: Safe Blood Donation

Overview

These learning materials, Safe Blood and Blood Products, are designed to provide an alternative means of rapidly improving the knowledge and technical skills of staff in blood transfusion services in developing countries. They have been designed for use in distance learning programmes in blood safety, although they can also be used for independent study or as resource materials in conventional training courses and in-service training programmes. They will enable blood transfusion services to update and upgrade staff in a practical and costeffective way and to make effective use of limited training resources. The materials have been produced for staff with responsibility for donor recruitment and retention, and for the collection, testing and issue of blood for transfusion. They comprise the following modules:

Introduction

Module 1: Safe Blood Donation

Module 2: Screening for HIV and Other Infectious Agents

Module 3: Blood Group Serology

The modules have been written by blood transfusion specialists with knowledge and experience of developing countries and the modules have been under continuing review by many blood transfusion medicine experts throughout the world. Open Learning Associates, UK was responsible for the distance learning format, editing and production. The English edition was first published in 1993. French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Portuguese editions have since been produced and the materials have also been translated into a number of national languages. This second, updated edition of the materials has been developed to reflect changes in transfusion medicine and laboratory technology since the publication of the first edition.