Blood transfusions: what to do when you don't have blood in the fridge

By: Christine Culler, DVM, MS, DACVECC

Description: Blood product shortages are increasingly common and many hospitals may not regularly keep blood products on hand. Having an established contingency plan for patients requiring blood products is important. It is stressful to find alternative solutions in a crisis and the delay can compromise patient outcomes. We will review various blood products and their uses, including dosages, rates, proper administration, and how to navigate transfusion reactions. We will discuss a variety of alternatives to reach for when your blood refrigerator is empty, including the pros and cons of each. This will include xenotransfusion for cats when type-specific products aren’t available, how to appropriately collect and store blood from a donor animal, stabilizing the anemic patient while waiting for a transfusion, and suggestions on navigating blood product purchasing in urgent situations. A goal for this course is to leave more confident in transfusion medicine and to have an organized plan for handling blood shortages.

By the end of the session, attendees will be able to:

1. To understand potential indications and risks of xenotransfusion in cats.
2. To be familiar with a protocol for in-house blood collection
3. To know the content of various blood products and alternatives when the ideal product is not available

Speaker Info: Christine Culler, DVM, MS, DACVECC is a traveling emergency doctor with Veterinary Emergency Group. She completed her DVM, Master of Science, and residency in Emergency and Critical Care at The Ohio State University. She then completed a fellowship in extracorporeal therapy at North Carolina State University. She was a medical director at BluePearl North Carolina and joined VEG in 2023. The challenge of end of life and quality of life decision-making in her critical patients fueled her interest in palliative care and improving communication in serious illness. She also enjoys managing trauma, sepsis, acute kidney injury, and intoxications and appreciates working in hospitals that encourage teachers and learners to be humble and curious.