Immunohematology Wet Workshop: RBC Antibody Detection and Identification

Workshop Description

Pretransfusion testing that includes red blood cell (RBC) alloantibody detection and identification is key to improving outcomes for all patients requiring blood transfusion. This one-day "wet workshop" will provide participants the opportunity to perform and interpret RBC antibody screening and identification on patient/donor samples and to discuss transfusion management of patients in whom RBC alloantibodies are detected/identified.

At the conclusion of this workshop, the participants will be able to:

1. Discuss the importance of performing 37^OC testing for RBC alloantibodies as part of pretransfusion testing.
2. Perform RBC antibody detection and identification using the saline-AHG test tube method.
3. Interpret RBC antibody screen results.
4. Analyze RBC antibody identification panels to rule-out and identify the presence of antibodies.
5. Determine the most appropriate transfusion management of patients with clinically significant RBC alloantibodies in a low-resource setting.

Schedule: Sessions will take place between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Faculty will be available for informal discussions following the structured sessions.

Fees: There is no fee to attend this workshop.

Transportation: Transportation will be provided from the AfSBT Congress hotel to the Namibia University of Science and Technology. Attendees are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Meals: Meals will be provided during the workshop day.

Certificate of attendance: Workshop attendees will receive a  certificate of attendance awarded by the workshop hosts/sponsors provided that they attended the wet workshop and the three mandatory pre-workshop online webinars.

Language: Both the wet workshop and the pre-workshop webinars will be offered in both English and French.

Who Should Attend?

This workshop is intended for health care professionals, including:

1. Physicians who are responsible for ensuring transfusion safety within a transfusion facility. While such physicians are unlikely to perform these tests in their facility, an understanding of the reasons for such testing and the nature of the tests are essential to effectively advocate for the implementation of standard-of-care pretransfusion testing.
2. Medical laboratory managers who are responsible for performing and/or ensuring appropriate standard-of-care pretransfusion testing. 
3. Laboratory technologist/scientists/technicians responsible for performing pretransfusion testing.

Wet workshop participants will be selected based on meeting a set of selection criteria and restricted to professionals working in Africa. However, the pre-workshop webinars will be open access webinars available to all interested professionals.

While not required, we encourage each institution to consider being represented by both a physician/manager and a technologist/scientist.

Preparatory Materials

Attendees are required to attend three webinars hosted on the AfSBT's website prior to the workshop.

Attendees are also strongly encouraged to complete five online educational modules developed by ISBT.  These modules can be accessed freely by all ISBT and AfSBT members at

https://www.isbtweb.org/shop.html

Each module takes 2-3 hours to complete (depending on level of the student’s previous knowledge). The modules are:

Course 1. Introduction to antigen-antibody reactions

Course 2. Antigen-antibody reactions in the laboratory

Course 3. The use of cells and antibodies as reagents

Course 4. Antigen and antibody variation and antihuman globulin

Course 5. Antiglobulin tests