Transfusion strategies in hemoglobinopathies: what the latest update of Good Practices tell us in the era of new therapeutic advances

Abstract

PREVIEW

In 2014, the Italian Society of Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathies (SITE) and the Italian Society of Transfusion Medicine and Immununohematology (SIMTI) working groups joined efforts and knowledge to develop the first “Recommendations for transfusion strategies in hemoglobinopaties”¹, an expert opinion-based tool for the management of transfusion therapy in transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) and sickle cell disease (SCD).
In this issue of Blood Transfusion, Forni et al.², propose an update of these recommendations, not only by a systematic review of the most recent literature and a qualified methodological approach, but also offering a structured discussion of specific recommendations in order to transfer awareness developed through biomedical research to clinicians dealing with patients affected by hemoglobinopathies, in the frame of Good (Clinical) Practices. The Italian Society of Hemapheresis and Cell Manipulation (SIdEM) contributed with SITE and SIMTI to this work. [ ... ]