91821 Transfusion Science
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 91401 Immunology OR 91563 Haematology
Anti-requisite(s): 91129 Transfusion Science
Description
Transfusion Science is about human blood group systems, the antigens that each of us possess on our red blood cells that make each of our blood cells different to that of another person. Because of these differences, our bodies can determine another person’s cells as foreign (non-self).
This subject explores how the body responds, the tests to detect and identify of plasma antibodies, principles of donor blood compatibility and antigen/antibody reactions, the use of blood products in testing, the safety of the blood supply and minimisation of transmission of infectious diseases, investigation of transfusion reactions, haemolytic disease of the newborn, platelet and leucocyte immuno-haematology, transfusion in critical care situations, legal aspects of transfusion and use of blood products, stem cell transplantation, and cytokine stimulation of hemopoiesis.
This subject teaches the essential principles and practices of transfusion scientists who work in the clinical and research areas of transfusion science. As such, the workshop and practical aspects of the subject are designed to teach the basic tools and methods required to identify antibodies; to determine the safe use of blood for transfusion, identify risks of mother-foetus incompatibility and the source of transfusion reactions. To create the foundation for understanding these concepts, the subject has the theory content presented in modules where the information presented using multiple formats, these include video mini-lectures, presentations, recordings, readings, gamified learning and opportunities for reflection with your cohort.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Describe the requirements for the safe transfusion of blood and blood products |
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| 2. | Explain the Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion (ANZSBT) definitions of blood group systems, blood group antigens and the antibodies that define them |
| 3. | Identify and demonstrate how areas of quality assurance programs, regulation of therapeutic goods and the Human Tissue Act are used in the context of transfusion science |
| 4. | Perform and interpret the techniques of laboratory blood grouping, crossmatching, antibody screening and antibody identification |
| 5. | Explain the principles of transfusion and transplantation |
| 6. | Evaluate and consolidate information relating to transfusion science using data bases, regulatory websites, text books and scientific articles to report their findings to their cohort using written and oral communication styles |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:
- Explain how diseases arise and disrupt normal physiological function and appraise the technologies used to diagnose, treat, and cure diseases. (1.1)
- Collect, accurately record, interpret, and draw conclusions from data to solve real-world medical problems, and infer how the results of medical research can be translated to improve patient outcomes. (2.1)
- Evaluate ethical, social, and cultural issues in medical science in local and global contexts and work responsibly, safely and with respect to diversity and regulatory frameworks. (3.1)
- Reflect upon, independently evaluate, and critically appraise current evidence-based literature to identify medical problems or unmet medical needs and creatively translate medical research results to improve the clinical care of patients. (4.1)
- Effectively communicate medical science knowledge and research information, and the importance thereof, to a range of audiences using a variety of modes, independently and collaboratively. (5.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes to the development of the following:
1. Disciplinary knowledge
From the theoretical material, you will be provided with: detailed explanations of the ANZ- and I-SBT definitions of blood groups; the risks of transfusion and potential errors; fundamental information about other types of transfusions; be introduced to the various accreditation bodies, guidelines and processes; and the foundations of performing the techniques required to determine blood types.
The workshop materials are to consolidate the information learnt in theory material and apply that knowledge to various case studies that will help you test your knowledge of safe transfusion protocols.
The practical component of the course will then provide the opportunity to practice the practical skills of blood testing used in clinical and research laboratories, again these are case study-based to give you an experience that resembles a scientist's role in a transfusion laboratory.
Combined, this knowledge will enable you to formulate rational judgements about whether there is a risk of a transfusion reaction. In your assessments and some compulsory group work, you will be able to test your knowledge and apply it in a group setting as part of collaborative learning.
2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking
You will be required to search organisational websites of government accrediting bodies as well as scientific literature and corporate websites to discover what is required in the approval process of a blood product, simulating the work of researchers and scientists in manufacturing and testing laboratories. By collecting and collating that information, you will then be able to communicate that information back to your peers and consolidate that into a poster for a scientific audience.
3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility
You will develop personal organisation skills, teamwork skills, laboratory skills, blood testing and handling skills. You can obtain these skills through the practical, workshop and assessment components of the course.
This subject will use Canvas as the main mode of theory delivery. Communications via Teams and documentation for assignments are recommended to be set up for team sharing in Microsoft 365, these are used in hospital laboratories and the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.
As part of building skills in teamwork, you will have an opportunity to review yourself and your team in SPARK Plus.
As blood transfusion is a high-risk medical procedure it relies on the highest level of accuracy by transfusion scientists. You will develop an understanding and be able to explain:
- the need for blood and blood products;
- blood transfusion and human tissue regulations;
- and the importance of blood transfusion practices to enable you to be a transfusion scientist.
4. Reflection, Innovation, Creativity
From the theoretical material, you will need to pull together the appropriate testing protocols to determine the cause of transfusion reactions, determine the risks of legislative action for a blood testing product, create a plan to test a patient sample and find an appropriate blood product that makes the best treatment for the patient.
As part of the final assessment about the Australian legislation for blood products, you will use your reflective, innovative and creative skills to develop a poster that explains the roles of various legislative bodies that govern and subsidise the blood products used in Australia. Your innovative and creative skills will be used to create an interesting and educational submission.
5. Communication
These skills are practised and expanded through multiple aspects of the course including practical classes, online collaboration and assessments. You will work in small groups (3-4) to complete learning activities as well as to complete a poster that consolidates the findings of your research on a blood testing product and the legislation surrounding its manufacture and use. Individually, you will then provide feedback to your team members on how they can better contribute in the “workplace” and provide feedback on another team's submission in your cohort. The peer review of your colleagues is aimed at developing your team-based communication skills.
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is delivered online via self-directed activities through Canvas. It is expected that will take 1.5-2 hours each week. There are ten 2-hour face-to-face workshops and eight 3-hour practical classes.
Transfusion Science is delivered in a modular style. The theory of the subject is completely online, enabling students to review as they need. The use of video recordings, audio recordings, short presentations, self-directed learning activities, games and recommended readings have been blended to present the theory of the modules of the subject: Basic Testing, Antibody Investigations, Specialised Areas and Legislation. This content requires approximately 2 hours to complete each week.
There are four modules, modules 1-3 have online tests to ensure you understand the content before moving to the next module and the legislation module is assessed as a poster about a diagnostic product.
The first three modules build on each other, but the legislation topic can be attempted at any point to enable plenty of time to understand the topic and consolidate that knowledge with the researched information for the final poster submission.
Workshop material is a combination of self-directed preparatory activities as well as the weekly 2-hour workshops. During these activities, problem-based activities and case studies help to test your understanding of the theory. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and work with the teachers to improve your understanding. Studies have shown, and our own results also indicate, that immersed participation in face-to-face classes leads to better results.
The practical component will be conducted as 3-hour practical sessions. To help you prepare for the labs, the challenging parts are quizzed in the pre-lab material. The aim of this design is for you to see the protocol performed and understand why and how this test is done before you perform the skill in the laboratory yourself. That pre-lab material will also test your interpretive skills for that test/set of tests. Then, after the labs, there are post-lab questions to complete. The pre and post-labs are an assessable component of the subject.
Summary of the course
In the early weeks, the content focuses on foundational blood grouping information, the clinically significant blood group systems and the techniques that help you identify whether a transfusion reaction is safe.
We then look at the tests of transfusion science. The individual test protocols will be taught initially from a theoretical perspective, so you understand the relevance and use in the clinical setting. In the practical classes, the main protocols used in blood banking are introduced: Blood Group, Antibody Screen and Antibody Identification, Crossmatching, Phenotyping and Antibody Investigation.
The practical exam is broken into two practical tests, the first is testing the basic testing information, while the second is a whole case followed through from beginning to end, incorporating Basic Testing, Antibody Investigations and Specialised Topics.
The modules covered toward the end of the semester are Specialised Areas of Transfusion and Legislation of Blood Supply. The topics cover specialised transfusions, such as minor blood components, acute care and neonates. To help familiarise you with the legislation and synergy required for blood supply, self-directed activities as well as recordings on National Blood Authority, Central Blood Supply, NATA, TGA and Patient Blood Management.
One of the highly regarded skills in any professional setting is being able to present information in various ways. The final assessment for this subject is for your group to create a poster to apply and synthesise the knowledge, from the modules Antibody Investigations and Legislation, to the production and supply of a commercially prepared blood testing product.
You will also need to provide a brief essay (no more than 500 words) summarising the critical points about legislation and a succinct reflection of your learning during this assignment, this may include how you work in a team, skills to make posters or consolidating information.
Strategies to help you learn
To facilitate your learning, there are learning tools and activities to keep you engaged and constantly revising your progress throughout each module. The activities have been created to give immediate feedback enabling learning from correct and incorrect answers immediately. The Read-Watch-Do style allows you to check your understanding as you progress. We invite you to work in pairs or small groups as this will help you investigate and interrogate the new knowledge while building teamwork and communication skills.
The module 1-3 tests will be opened for short periods of time only. These tests are open-book but must be completed individually.
Many graduates from this subject can be hired directly into hospital transfusion laboratories or blood banks, where they make critical decisions about blood products to be given to patients. These are mostly lifesaving, but a wrong decision is potentially life-threatening, and for that reason, we will treat you as a transfusion scientist from Week 1.
Content (topics)
Upon completion of the lecture and practical material you will have knowledge of:
- ANZBT definitions of blood group systems
- How to utilize, report and interpret the results of antibody tests
- Using column agglutination for the test protocols of transfusion science
- Types of transfusions and transplants
- Transfusion reactions, their risks, severity and investigation
- The organizations and regulations that govern blood transfusion medicine
- When transfusions or blood compatibility may be important
Possible tour of Lifeblood, TBC.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Application of Theory
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary Knowledge 2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility 4. Reflection, Innovation and Creativity 5. Communication |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Criteria: | This set of module tests assesses the theoretical components of the subject. There are three tests on the following topics. Combined they are worth 30% of the assessment weighting. Topic - Weighting % Foundations of Transfusion Science - 10% |
Assessment task 2: Practical Skills
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary Knowledge 2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking 5. Communication |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 2, 4, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Criteria: | The role of laboratory scientists requires graduates to have a specific set of skills when commencing work. The Practical Assessments provides students with an explanation of the testing protocol, a way to practice in the six pre-lab quizzes (10%), then practice skills in the lab and again review in the post-lab. As the feedback from this section is immediate, you will be able to look back on where the learning gaps exist and focus on those prior to the two practical tests. The non-weighted practice-test in week 9 is to check your understanding and the final practical test in week 12 is worth 30%. Students will be individually assessed on techniques such as:
Note: To pass the subject, there is a minimum requirement to obtain 50 P as well as complete the practical component competently. Please see the information section below named minimum requirements. |
Assessment task 3: Legislation and Efficacy Testing of Blood Products
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary Knowledge 2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility 5. Communication |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 3, 4 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 1. Prepare and submit a professional A2 poster produced as a group. 2. Explain the application, protocols, storage of the product and legislation that will include a reflection on what you learned about the challenges of making posters and working in teams 3. Complete two team reviews. 4. Complete the peer-marking of two other group's infographics. |
| Criteria: | Working in 3-4 person teams, you will research a blood product commonly used in blood transfusion testing. Using the blood product as an example, your team will design a professional poster about the Australian legislative requirements for selling and using that product. In addition to the poster, a brief reflective essay about what you have learnt about presenting information in posters and working in teams. The submissions will be graded based on: 1. Information contained is accurate, and clear communication of information conveyed 2. Comprehensive research of the product evidenced through the use of the relevant scientific literature and product supplier information 3. Creative, innovative and accurate poster presentation of scientific information 4. Accuracy of understanding the role of legislation in blood product testing production 5. Open self-disclosure about learning to present in this format Further information: Note: All submitted material making use of published materials, should be properly referenced and with a properly completed bibliography using the APA format and lack any plagiarism, this includes copying or reworking any material (e.g., text, images, music, video) from generative AI tools, and claiming this work is your own without declaring the use of the relevant tool; (unless permitted use is specified for that assessment) as defined by UTS Rule 16.2.1(4). A compulsory part of this assessment is the team review. Working in any team-based project, people need to be able to communicate when other people are not providing the necessary information as well as give positive feedback when other team members are contributing well. For this reason, there are two reviews of team members, one in the middle of the semester, and one at the end. Not completing the reviews carries a 5-mark penalty for each set of reviews.
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Minimum requirements
An overall mark of 50 or greater must be achieved to pass the subject. Unsatisfactory performance, a mark of less than 80%, in the practical component (pre-labs and final practical test) of the subject will result in a Fail (X) grade being awarded. The practical component is essential for meeting the objectives of the subject and tests information covered in the lectures, workshops and practical classes.
Additional expectations:
1. Complete all theoretical pages and the associated module tests in the time required
2. Attendance and participation in the weekly workshops and the practical sessions. While attendance is not compulsory, attendance in practical classes and workshops has demonstrated students achieve significantly higher results in this subject.
3. Provide evidence of attendance to meetings or communication, ie. your contribution, to the group assignment for Assessment 3.
Recommended texts
Harmening, D (6th edn) (2012) Modern Blood Banking and Transfusion Practices. FA Davis
Or
Overfield, Dawson and Hamer (2nd edn) (2008) Transfusion Science. Scion
References
Others as listed in Transfusion Science Subject site on Canvas.