NBA funds Annual Blood conference awards

The Blood conference is the annual scientific meeting of the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand, Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion and Thrombosis (ANZSBT) and the Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Since 2014, the ANZSBT Council has been awarding a prize sponsored by the National Blood Authority for the best oral or poster abstract with a transfusion focus presented at the Blood conference by a young investigator. To be eligible, applicants must be 35 years or less on the last day of the meeting. Since 2017, the National Blood Authority has also sponsored an award for the best poster or oral presentation on Haemovigilance as judged by the ANZSBT Council. The 2020 awards were carried over to 2021 due to cancellation of the annual conference because of COVID19. In 2021, the NBA sponsored a new award for best poster or oral presentation on Patient Blood Management. For further information on how to apply for the 2023 conference awards, visit the ANZSBT website at: https://anzsbt.org.au/events/(link is external).

2022 Recipients

 

In 2022, the recipient of the $500 Young Investigator Award was Ms Yusra Shahid for her research “Predicting the severity of cardiac iron-overload in transfusion dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients through deep learning.” The study demonstrated a deep learning algorithm on CMR images identifying myocardial overload in TDT patients, bypassing the need for costly software and highly trained professionals. This algorithm has potential to improve health outcomes in TDT patients in a resource efficient manner. This research was developed by Yusra and her team at Integration Xperts using data on TDT patients at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

Ms Shahid graduated from NED University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi, Pakistan, with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems Engineering.

Picture of Dolly MathewIn 2022, the recipient of the $500 Best poster/oral presentation on Haemovigilance Award was Mrs Dolly Mathew for her research “A comprehensive neonatal-paediatric intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment plan developed to improve health care outcomes for children requiring IVIg infusions in Australia.”  The research was conducted at Joondalup Health Campus, Western Australia. Children are sometimes over or under prescribed and/or administered intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIgs). Dose and rate of IVIg infusions differ according to the individual diagnosis and weight of the child. Mrs Mathew developed an IVIg plan designed for neonatal and paediatric patients which helps clinicians prescribe the correct dose and rate of IVIg administration according to the weight of the child. The Neonatal-Paediatric Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) Treatment Plan proved to be an effective tool in educating staff and reducing errors when prescribing and administering IVIg products for children.

Dolly Mathew is a Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife at Joondalup Health Campus (Ramsay Health Care) currently working as a Transfusion Nurse Specialist and PBM CNC. She has vast experience in clinical practice and teaching.

 In 2022, the recipient of the $500 Best poster/oral presentation on patient blood management award was Dr Allison Mo for her research “Making decision about platelet transfusions in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): a clinician survey to inform future clinical trials.” The survey described current use of platelet transfusions and tranexamic acid in Australia for patients with MDS who have thrombocytopenia, aiming to inform future trial design in this area. The survey was developed in collaboration with the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group (ALLG) Supportive Care working party. The results of the survey suggest that MDS-related thrombocytopenia management is highly variable, and clinical trials are necessary to inform practice.

Dr Allison Mo is a clinical and laboratory haematologist at Monash Health. She is currently undertaking a PhD at the Transfusion Research Unit, Monash University, focusing on optimising transfusion practices with MDS, and transfusion related quality of life and functional outcomes.

2021 Recipients

 

 In 2021, the recipient of the $500 Young Investigator Award was Dr Lauren Waters, for her research “Calcium is a key mediator of the phenotypic changes in cryopreserved platelets”. The study demonstrates that calcium plays a crucial role in mediating cryopreservation-induced changes to frozen platelets. The addition of the calcium chelator, BAPTA-AM, prior to cryopreservation reduces these  alterations, improving platelet recovery and quality.

 Dr Waters is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow within the Research and Development team at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. She completed her PhD in 2020 at the University of Technology Sydney in collaboration with Lifeblood. Lauren’s current research focuses on improving the quality of cryopreserved platelets using novel freezing strategies.

  In 2021, the recipient of the $500 Best poster/oral presentation on Haemovigilance Award was Ms Shannon Morgan for her poster “Sustained reduction in Wrong Blood in Tube (WBIT) incidents at  Townsville University Hospital (TUH)”, with co-author Natalie Shiells. Ms Shiells commenced this body of work in 2018 after identifying an opportunity for improvement and continued to support Ms Morgan in  its implementation. Ms Morgan is Clinical Nurse Consultant Haemovigilance Officer at Townsville Hospital Health Service, Queensland Health.

 The research aimed to achieve a sustained reduction in WBIT incidents at TUH using the positive patient identification (PPID) functionality within the integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR), to reduce   the risk of delayed treatment, adverse transfusion outcomes and unnecessary specimen recollection. By using an organisation-wide approach to monitoring through a PPID/ positive accession identification (PAID) dashboard, managing, and reviewing WBIT discrepancies, the opportunity for error has reduced. A reduction in WBIT incidents will return valuable time to frontline clinicians and pathology staff, reduce the financial impact for specimen recollection, and improve the overall patient’s healthcare journey and safety.

 In 2021, the recipient of the $500 Patient Blood Management Award was Dr Allison Mo for her research “Changing red blood cell (RBC) and platelet transfusion in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS):A   15-year Australian population data-linkage study.” The study aimed to characterise the transfusion needs of MDS patients and explore transfusion-related outcomes. The study highlights the high transfusion  burden in MDS patients, and related adverse cardiac and bleeding outcomes. RBC transfusion requirements reduced over time but platelet transfusions increased; this may be related to changing MDS- related  therapies or clinician practices. These data will help design future MDS transfusion trials, which should include quality-of life and health economics outcomes, given the burden of transfusion on elderly patients.

 Dr Allison Mo is a clinical and laboratory haematologist at Monash Health. She is currently undertaking a PhD at the Transfusion Research Unit, Monash University, focussing on optimising transfusion practices with myelodysplastic syndromes and transfusion related quality of life and functional outcomes.

2019 Recipients
 

Image of Mrs Alana Delaforce

In 2019, the recipient of the $500 Young Investigator award was Mrs Alana Delaforce, who presented her research, “Assessing transfusion practice in elective surgical patients: a baseline audit to identify opportunities for improvement”. Alana has a background in theatre nursing and now works as a quality coordinator at the Mater Hospital Brisbane. She is in the final year of her PhD, the focus of which is to investigate barriers to the implementation of patient blood management guidelines. The project aims to determine which interventions, and implementation strategies best influence the uptake of evidence based patient blood management recommendations. The published paper details one strategy used called “tailored audit and feedback”. Following an audit, the challenge was to work out how to communicate the results to prescribers, and a flowchart was developed to help augment conversations explaining recommended practice. It enables prescribers to see clearly where they can focus their improvement work to enhance the care provided to patients.

Image of Ms Debbie Pinchon

In 2019, the recipient of the $500 Best poster/oral presentation Award on haemovigilance award was Ms Debbie Pinchon for her poster “Haemovigilance in WA – what does 3 years of state-wide reporting tell us?” Debbie has worked as a nurse and a midwife in the UK and Australia has specialised in haematology, transfusion and haemovigilance for the past 19 years. She completed her MSc in Health Professional Leadership in 2007 and has published papers in international peer-reviewed journals. Previously, Debbie was responsible for the implementation of anaemia management throughout WA’s tertiary Women and Newborn Hospital, has led a large number of practice improvements in relation to patient blood management and the safe and appropriate use of blood products and its alternatives. Debbie currently works at the Western Australian Department of Health and has a particular interest in the management of transfusion reactions, haemovigilance and is passionate about improving clinical transfusion practice.

Debbie feels that the stars of the award are her colleagues, peers and the teams who continue to commit to reporting, investigating and submitting transfusion related adverse events over the years. It is their names that should be on the poster, they are fundamental to WA’s success and progress in haemovigilance.

2018 Recipients
 

Image of Ms Alexis Perros

In 2018 the recipient of the $500 Young Investigator award was Ms Alexis Perros, a research scientist at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Brisbane, Australia. Alexis is in the final stages of her PhD at the University of Queensland, and her main research focus is investigating immunomodulation after transfusion. Alexis presented her research, “Transfusion modulates leucocyte populations in cardiac surgery patients” in the ANZSBT Presidential Symposium, and also had two poster presentations, “Underlying inflammation influences immunoregulatory cell immune responses in a model of platelet concentrate and packed red blood cell transfusion” and “Assessment of transfusion-related immune modulation in cardiac surgery patients”. Coronary artery bypass grafting is a complex surgical procedure which triggers a systemic inflammatory response that may be exacerbated by transfusion. Alexis’ research, a collaboration between Lifeblood and The Prince Charles Hospital, found that multiple leucocyte subsets were modulated following transfusion in coronary artery bypass grafting patients. Modulation of the patient’s immune response may contribute to adverse patient outcomes, including increased rates of infection and mortality. Increasing our understanding of how transfusion and cardiac surgery modulate a patient’s immune system may help predict adverse patient outcomes.

Alexis is supervised at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood by A/Prof Melinda Dean, Dr Helen Faddy and Prof Robert Flower and at the University of Queensland by A/Prof Stuart Kellie.

Image of Ms Christine Akers

The recipient of the $500 Best poster/oral presentation Award on haemovigilance award was Ms Christine Akers, a Transfusion Nurse within the Victorian Blood Matters program. The program is a collaboration between the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Her award winning presentation was titled ‘Transfusion associated circulatory overload: promoting awareness and reporting’. Chris showcased the education campaign aimed at raising the awareness of transfusion associated circulatory overload (TACO) within 79 health services in Victoria for a single month in 2017. The team used a number of educational tools (available on the Blood Matters website) to raise awareness with clinical staff. The campaign resulted in an increased number of TACO notifications through the Serious Transfusion Incident Reporting (STIR) programme.

2017 Recipients
 

Image of Dr Joanne Tan

In 2017 the recipient of the $500 Young Investigator award was Dr Joanne Tan, a Research Fellow with the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood for her presentation ‘Propensity for alloantibody formation in transfusion-dependent patients’. Dr Tan’s work is an issue for the transfusion medicine community as transfusion-dependent patients who develop alloantibodies are at risk of delayed haemolytic transfusion reactions if they receive a red blood cell unit of the same antigen specificity. This means blood banking staff and Lifeblood staff need to work harder to find extended phenotype-matched red blood cells for these patients for future blood transfusions. One of the management strategies for these patients is to prevent the formation of alloantibodies in the first instance.

 

Image of Dr Anastazia Keegan

The recipient of the $500 Best poster/oral presentation Award on haemovigilance award was Dr Anastazia Keegan, a Consultant Haematologist and Transfusion Medicine Specialist at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood in Western Australia. Dr Keegan has a particular interest in transfusion medicine horizon scanning, haemovigilance, major haemorrhage protocols/critical bleeding and obstetric Haematology. Dr Keegan won the award for her presentation on ‘A risk tool to mitigate severe haemolytic reactions due to high isohaemagglutinins in apheresis platelets’. Dr Keegan’s work is an issue for the transfusion medicine community as ABO haemagglutinin reactions are complex, multifactorial and likely under-reported. There is a lack of a universal ABO haemagglutinin titre technique and no nationally endorsed guidelines defining risk. Therefore, transfusion scientists and clinicians are unable to protect patients from potentially catastrophic transfusion reactions. The development of a Risk Matrix Tool for the pathology service to assess the risk of minor ABO mismatched apheresis platelet transfusions based on ABO haemagglutinin titres improves patient safety by assisting clinical decision-making when minor ABO mismatch platelets must be used.