International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine Guidelines

Established in 2011, the International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine Guidelines – aka ICTMG – is a group of specialists comprising hematologists, physicians and methodologists from a variety of countries who work together to establish evidence-based transfusion medicine guidelines. Their goal is to create and promote these guidelines to optimize transfusion care around the globe.

Canadian Blood Services is proud to support the activities of the ICTMG. Through the Centre for Innovation, we provide administrative support to this international group that includes a healthy contingent of Canadian experts.  

Their published clinical guidelines and systematic reviews include:

• Guidance on platelet transfusion for patients with hypoproliferative thrombocytopenia (Clinical Guideline 2015) 
• Efficacy of HLA matched platelet transfusion for patients with hypoproliferative thrombocytopenia (Systematic Review 2013)
• Utility of HLA cross-matched platelet transfusions in patients with hypoproliferative thrombocytopenia (Systematic Review 2014)

With the following currently in development:

• Evidence-based guidelines for the management of fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia
• Red cell specification for patients with hemoglobinopathy

Click here to access the clinical guidelines and other resources developed by the ICTMG.

In addition to recently launching a new website to host, collect and share their resources, the ICTMG produced (in collaboration with the AABB), an English-language podcast titled “Platelets Unplugged: The Sticky Truth”. It was developed for the international transfusion-medicine community and health care providers who may need to provide platelet transfusions.

Don’t miss these and other useful resources that you can use to promote evidence-based transfusion practices at your hospital.