AABB Technical Manual Returns With a New Edition

For more than 70 years, AABB’s Technical Manual has been the preeminent reference book for the transfusion medicine and blood banking field. From its earliest days in the 1950s (when it was titled Technical Methods and Procedures) through the modern era, it has served generations of professionals throughout the world, offering insight and fundamental information on all aspects of transfusion medicine and blood banking. The book is now widely considered to be a must-have, critical resource for the field and consistently ranks as AABB’s best-selling and most-popular publication.

Since its inception, the Technical Manual has been updated once every three years, ensuring each new edition reflects the latest science, technological advances and best practices. AABB is pleased to announce that the 22nd edition of the Technical Manual will be published within the next several weeks. Evan M. Bloch, MBChB, MS, professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, served as the editor-in-chief for the new edition. Additional editors included Sally Campbell-Lee, MD; David H. McKenna, MD; Celina Montemayor-Garcia, MD, PhD; Joseph Schwartz, MD, MPH; Beth Shaz, MD, MBA; and Jill Storry, PhD.

Highlights of the 22nd Edition

AABB News spoke with Bloch recently about the new edition, including updates made for 2026 and the editorial process involved in bringing the book to completion.

Bloch said that one of the most notable aspects of the new edition is the addition of three new chapters, providing in-depth information on topics of increasing importance that were not included in previous editions of the book. “I think the addition of these three chapters will strengthen this edition of the Technical Manual,” Bloch said.

The first new chapter is focused on transfusion practice in low-resource settings. “We recognize that there is a very broad audience for the Technical Manual, and this new chapter addresses some of the challenges low- and middle-income countries face,” Bloch said. “Also, we note that even within high-income countries, there may be remote areas where practice is challenging. This chapter provides information and insight on addressing such challenges.”

The second new chapter addresses hemostasis and coagulation. “This, obviously, is an enormous topic, but we focus specifically on a transfusion context – and I believe that hemostasis and coagulation are really core to transfusion medicine,” he said. “I think this new chapter will be seen as a welcome addition by many in our community.”

Finally, the third new chapter highlights regulatory oversight of biotherapies. “We felt this to be very important, given the increased role of biotherapies – and the blood community’s critical role in this ever-expanding area of health care,” Bloch said. “Biotherapies are the next frontier not just of oncology, but the potential applications extend to other disciplines.”

Collaborating on Updates

Bloch said he was pleased to lead the editorial team for the new Technical Manual and praised the collaborative efforts of all those involved in the editorial process. “I feel very fortunate to have worked with such an incredible group of associate editors—making for a highly collaborative process,” Bloch said.

As part of the editorial process, each associate editor was tasked with managing several chapters, which were within their domain of expertise. “For most chapters, the key is to build on or refine what was published in previous editions, to ensure that every piece of information is up to date,” Bloch said.

He added that every chapter was extensively reviewed by the editorial team and AABB staff, as well as outside experts. “Every chapter went through multiple cycles of review, writing, refinement, in addition to external review,” Bloch said. “It’s a rigorous process, to ensure that the content is scientifically and medically sound, as well as readable and practical.”

The Seminal Text

Now that the 22nd edition of the Technical Manual is nearing publication, Bloch said he expects it to be as well-received as its predecessors.

“The Technical Manual is the seminal text for our discipline,” Bloch said. “Each new edition provides the most up-to-date content for the field imparting contemporary standard-of-care practice.”

Bloch added that one of the strengths of each edition of the Technical Manual is that it is designed to be used by the wide variety of professionals within the field. “One of the reasons people have always valued this book so much is that it’s tailored for a very broad, diverse cadre of personnel working in the field—from technologists to physicians, medical directors, those working in regulatory affairs, quality assurance and many others,” he said. “The Technical Manual really has something for all of all of the professionals in our field.”