Trigger Factors in Transfusion Medicine: Proceedings of the Twentieth International Symposium on Blood Transfusion, Groningen 1995, organized by the Red Cross Blood Bank Noord-Nederland(31 Developments in Hematology and Immunology)

It is an honour and a pleasure to welcome you all at this 20th annual International Symposium on Blood Transfusion in the Netherlands. This year you celebrate its 20th anniversary and I congratulate the Staff of the Blood Bank Noord Nederland and especially Dr. Smit Sibinga for this great achievement. As most of you know, the name of the person of Dr. Smit Sibinga is unbreakably con­ nected with the annual symposium in Groningen which he has organized each year from the very start, 20 years ago. The reputation of any symposium depends heavily on the quality of the lectures. I think it is not possible to organize 20 symposia in a row if the topics lack actual relevance and the speakers are not of excellent reputation. Dr. Smit Sibinga has proven to have a keen eye for selecting interesting themes and eminent speakers. Although a lot of different topics have been dealt with in the past 20 years, which each attracted the attention of a different group in the field of blood transfusion, it is not surprising that after a tradition of 20 years several speakers but also a lot of attendees are not for the first time in Groningen to participate in this event. It gives the symposium a unique atmosphere of intimacy. It is not hard to admit that most of the newer developments in transfusion medicine take place outside the Netherlands.

Table of Contents:
I. Demand and Supply.- Customer-oriented Quality Systems in Transfusion.- Communication Mechanisms Between the Bedside and the Blood Bank.- Informed Consent for Transfusion Recipients: How much is enough?.- Factors That Influence the Demand for Transfusion.- The Process of Clinical Decision making in Blood Transfusion.- Discussion.- II. Product Qualities and Characteristics.- Factors defining the clinical needs for supportive haemotherapy.- Factors Effecting the Clinical Efficacy of Blood Transfusion.- The Clinical Relevance and Biological Effects of Leukocytes Present in Cellular Blood Components.- Platelets: What Qualities and Characteristics Do Justify the Need for Transfusion?.- The Clinical Relevance of Clotting Factor Characteristics.- Discussion.- III. Transfusion Policies and Clinical Pratice.- Fears, Facts and Formulas About Blood Transfusion: On the Perception, Acceptance and Communication of Risks.- Surgical Criteria for Blood Transfusion: How Far Should We Go?.- Transfusion Policies and Clinical Practice in a Tertiary Academic Medical Centre: The Role of Protocols and Documentation.- Choice of Transfusing Single Donor Apheresis vs Random Pooled Platelets — Its Costs.- Ethical Aspects of the Transfusion of Blood.- What Triggers the Initiative of Developments in Transfusion Medicine: Advances in Ex Vivo Haematopoietic Cell Therapy and Next Generation Transfusion Products.- Discussion.- IV. Evaluation and Feed-Back of Transfusion Policies.- Evaluation of Bedside Transfusion Practice: Benefits vs Risks.- The Clinical Consultative Role of the Blood Bank in Transfusion Medicine.- Audits in Transfusion Medicine: A Trigger Mechanism to Optimise Clinical Practice.- Legislative and Regulative Impact on Transfusion Medicine Practices.- Discussion.