Ongoing Clinical Trials in Transfusion Medicine
Program Code: 9408-S
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM (ET)

MODERATOR
Heather Hume, MD, FRCPC, University of Montreal

SPEAKERS
Thomas H. Price, MD, Puget Sound Blood Center
Simon J. Stanworth, MA, MRCP (Paeds, U.K.), DPhil, FRCPath, National Health Service Blood & Transplant
Alan Tinmouth, MD, MSc, FRCPC, University of Ottawa Centre for Transfusion Research, Ottawa Health Research Institute and the Ottawa Hospital

DESCRIPTION
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are finally coming in greater numbers to transfusion medicine (TM). In this educational session, attendees will learn from principal and senior investigators about three important TM RCTs that are currently in progress; the ABLE trial (fresh versus standard storage periods for RBCs), the TOPS trial (therapeutic versus prophylactic platelet transfusions), and the RING trial (efficacy of granulocyte transfusions). The investigators will discuss the reasons for embarking on these RCTs, the preparations required for the trials, including issues such as the development of the research question, the study hypothesis and the choice of the study design, and finally the challenges and successes experienced as the studies are now being conducted.