Happy Fall Quarter! For our first speaker, we had the pleasure of inviting both Dr. Alyssa Ziman, Clinical and Laboratory Pathologist, and Tom King, UCLA Blood and Platelet Center Campus Recruiter, to speak to us about Blood Transfusion Medicine. Dr. Ziman is a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. She serves as the Section Chief of Transfusion Medicine for UCLA Health and is the Medical Director of the Clinical Laboratories at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Blood transfusion medicine is a specialized field that focuses on the science and practice of the collection, testing, and safe administration of blood products. It plays a critical role in healthcare by ensuring that life-saving blood products are available for surgeries, trauma care, and various other treatments.
Dr. Ziman and Tom King shared their unique journeys into blood transfusion medicine and shed light on the intricate processes behind the scenes. They walked us through every step, from screening donors and collecting blood, to the laboratory steps of testing, separating components, and ensuring compatibility, all the way to the final use of blood products in life-saving procedures and transfusions. It was particularly eye-opening to learn why whole blood, plasma, and platelet donations are so crucial! For instance, red blood cells can be properly stored for up to 42 days, but because a donation may contain a mix of young and old cells, not all of it can be used. In contrast, plasma can be properly stored for up to one year, while platelets only last five days!
Dr. Ziman mentioned that roughly 2.8% of eligible donors in the US actually donate. It’s a scary statistic but reaffirms the importance of having this conversation, bringing more awareness
surrounding Blood Transfusion Medicine, and perhaps inspiring others to donate as well.
If you are interested in donating blood at UCLA, please visit https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/gotblood.
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