AABB has a long history of collaborating with government agencies, international organizations, and experts in the field to establish and implement systems and processes for identifying and tracking adverse reactions and incidents associated with blood collection and transfusion.

Beginning in 2006, AABB collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to design and implement the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Hemovigilance Module. In addition to promoting the participation in this national patient hemovigilance system, AABB and its expert volunteers continue to collaborate with colleagues around the world to refine common definitions for adverse events and incidents, promote education for professionals in the field, and facilitate research that identifies best practices and interventions to improve patient care and safety.

In an ongoing effort to mitigate the risk of transmission of infectious diseases through transfusion, AABB also provides a valuable reporting platform to assist US blood collectors in identifying geographic areas where donors who have had reactive tests to various pathogens reside. The network includes reporting of Zika Virus and West Nile Virus.

Additionally, AABB continues to work to advance the field of hemovigilance through various activities:

• Supporting the establishment, refinement and adoption of common definitions of adverse events and incident associated with transfusion
• Case study webinars and teleconferences (formerly Safe Table calls)
• Important research, including the recent TACO mitigation study in partnership with the BEST Collaborative
• Establishment of a curated library of transfusion adverse event cases (coming soon)
• Collaborative projects conducted by the AABB donor and patient hemovigilance committees and work groups
• In-person and eLearning educational opportunities

Questions? Contact hemovigilance@aabb.org or +1.301.215.6588.