Blood Transfusion Service

Quick Links/Contact Information
MGH Transfusion Service Page of MGH Laboratory Handbook
MGH Blood Donor Center
MGH Guidelines for the Clinical Use of Blood Components

Staff
Christopher P. Stowell, MD, PhD – Director
Walter H. Dzik, MD – Co-Director
Robert S. Makar, MD, PhD – Assistant Director
Susan Saidman, PhD – Director, Histocompatibility Laboratory

The Transfusion Service performs routine and specialized compatibility testing as well as the production of specialized components. In addition, the lab supports the transfusion needs of a number of specialty services, including cardiac and vascular surgery, bone marrow and other solid organ transplantation, the Level 3 burn and trauma services, and the neonatal intensive care unit. Approximately 70,000 blood components are transfused annually, in addition to clotting factor concentrates, albumin, and intravenous immunoglobulin. The Transfusion Service includes an AABB-accredited reference laboratory for the resolution of difficult serological problems.

The MGH Blood Donor Center collects whole blood for component preparation (approximately 13,000 donations/yr) and platelet pheresis products (approximately 1200 units/yr) at the MGH main campus and on two mobile units. The Viral Testing Laboratory performs processing of blood donor units as well as viral testing for anti-HIV 1/2, anti-HTLV-I/II, anti-HCV and HbsAg.

A number of therapeutic procedures are available through the Infusion and Apheresis Units, including therapeutic phlebotomy (650/yr), therapeutic plasma and cytapheresis (250/yr), peripheral progenitor cell collection (200/yr), and outpatient transfusion of blood components and plasma derivatives (1500 visits/yr).

The Histocompatibility (HLA) Laboratory is ASHI certified and performs the HLA typing, antibody testing and chimerism/engraftment tests required for bone marrow and solid organ transplantation services at MGH, as well as testing required by the MGH Blood Transfusion Service and Blood Donor Center.

Physician consultation is available for therapeutic phlebotomy and apheresis, transfusion and infusion management, component therapy, use of specialized blood components in target populations, presurgical planning for reduce allogeneic blood usage, diagnosis and management of patients refractory to platelet transfusion, serologic problems, autoimmune hemolytic anemias, complications of transfusion, preoperative assessments and compatibility testing of transplant candidates, and diagnosis of rejection episodes.