Blood centers are responsible for the storage and management of rare red blood cells (RBCs). AABB Standards state that rare RBCs should be stored below -65C for up to 10 years. These rare units may even be kept indefinitely due to their scarcity and value. Protecting rare blood...
Read more »Colleen Holtkamp
Recent Posts
FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Bacterial Risk Control Strategies for Platelets
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft guidance document entitled “Bacterial Risk Control Strategies for Blood Collection Establishments and Transfusion Services to Enhance the Safety and Availability of Platelets for Transfusion.” (The new version...
Read more »Video Series: Four Factors to Consider when Selecting an Ultra-Low Freezer
Laboratories rely on ultra-low temperature storage to protect sensitive (and in some cases, irreplaceable) samples from being exposed to unacceptable temperatures. When evaluating various ultra-low freezers, it is important to know what to look for. There are critical design...
Read more »AABB Monitoring CDC Reports on Ebola
Photo credit: cdc.gov
In the United States blood system, if the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) determines that one or more countries are experiencing widespread transmission of the Ebola virus, specific Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance should be implemented in...
Read more »News Roundup - Helmer Scientific
Helmer Scientific has recently been featured in Inside Indiana Business and Noblesville Magazine. Check out an array of stories about Helmer’s innovations, products, and partnerships along with our generosity initiatives.
Read more »Helmer Scientific to Exhibit at MEDICA 2018 International Trade Fair
At Helmer Scientific, we are looking forward to exhibiting at the world’s leading medical trade fair, MEDICA 2018. MEDICA takes place in mid-November each year in Dusseldorf, Germany. This year’s fair will be held from November 12-15. The Helmer Scientific exhibit will be...
Read more »Researchers Discover How to Convert Types A & B Blood into Type O
Blood transfusions must be compatible with the recipient’s blood type. If the blood is not compatible, the patient’s immune system attacks the transfused red blood cells, causing a potentially fatal transfusion reaction. This would be the case if someone with type A blood...
Read more »Options for Pre-transfusion Testing - Where Does Tube Testing Fit?
Pre-transfusion testing refers to the laboratory tests required to ensure compatibility between a patient’s blood and a transfusion of donated blood. This process includes patient identification, sample collection and labeling, and laboratory testing to determine the patient’s...
Read more »Come See Helmer Scientific at the 2018 AABB Annual Meeting
The 2018 AABB Annual Meeting is just around the corner. It takes place from October 13 – 16, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. At Helmer Scientific, we’re looking forward to our 39th consecutive year of exhibiting at AABB. Come and see us at Booth #1833!
Read more »Maternal Complications and Transfusion Rate Rising in the U.S.
The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has reported that the occurrence of serious complications during childbirth is on the rise in the United States. These serious complications are referred to as severe maternal...
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