News and Announcements

Announcing the Launch of Empower Group O Care
The Red Cross is thrilled to introduce Empower Group O Care, an innovative initiative set to tackle one of the most pressing issues in transfusion medicine today – ensuring a sustainable and reliable supply of O negative Red Blood Cells. As an industry leader with extensive expertise in transfusion medicine, we are championing responsible stewardship practices of both O negative and O positive blood through ongoing educational events and supportive hospital resources, including toolkits and reference documents.
Empower Group O Care underscores our collective obligation to act now to ensure life-saving blood products are consistently available to those who need them most. Join us as we work together to better steward this vital blood supply and support improved patient outcomes.
Events
Adverse Reaction to Transfusion: Laboratory Investigation (Part 1)
Date: April 21
Adverse Reaction to Transfusion: Laboratory Investigation (Part 2)
Date: April 22
Foundations of IgA Deficiency
Date: April 23
Laboratory Services Case Studies: IRL Case - Specialized Testing Case
- HLA Case
Date: April 24
Media Messaging Toolkit
The American Red Cross welcomes participation of our hospital partners in the recruitment of blood donors, especially in times of critical shortages. For your convenience, we have made available prepared messaging and graphics that can be used to promote the need for blood donations.
PLUS Online
An Educational Resource for Transfusion Medicine
Does Pathogen Reduction Impair Platelet Function In Actively Bleeding Patients?
The initial FDA approval for pathogen-reduced (PR) platelets was supported by data from the SPRINT trial1,2 showing PR platelets to be noninferior to control platelets with respect to the incidence of bleeding after transfusion to thrombocytopenic patients; only about 16% of whom had clinically significant bleeding on study entry. Are PR platelets as effective as […]
Continue ReadingMulti-institution study of group O blood usage in the pediatric population between 2015 and 2019
Introduction Information and guidance for transfusion of pediatric and neonatal patients remained unchanged between the 2019 and 2025 versions of the AABB Association Bulletin “Recommendations on the Use of Group O Red Blood Cells.”1,2 The bulletin acknowledged the ease of using group O red blood cells (RBCs) for neonates since one RBC unit could provide […]
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