Second Edition

Abstract

The wisdom of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) in making expert resources available to update the 2008 publication, Introduction to Blood Transfusion Technology, which ISBT distributed at the Macau congress and thereafter, is to be admired. It is very much appreciated by the original authors, and especially by the two, from the original five, who were able to participate in the current review. The decision to update the publication was prompted by the evidence that electronic versions of the various chapters of the first edition were downloaded from the ISBT Academy website more than 62 000 times since 2010, with more than 20 000 downloads in 2018 alone. Two of the original authors, Rob Wilkinson and Beryl Armstrong, worked on the review with the editor of the second edition, Mindy Goldman and a dedicated group of ISBT members who provided updates within their areas of expertise. These expert reviewers are from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North and South America, and Australia – and as the two original authors are from Africa – this is truly an international effort. The ISBT Publications Committee are thanked for their valuable inputs. This second publication reflects the global nature of the effort while remaining true to the original ideal of producing a text suitable for students whose first language may not be English, and who may not have access to expert tuition. With the extended scope of the updated publication, it was felt that a name change should be considered. Therefore, the 2020 release is called Introduction to Blood Transfusion: from donor to recipient. Beryl Armstrong: From my perspective, this project signifies the continued fulfilment of a dream – to bring introductory knowledge to students in the field of blood transfusion, in a way that could be understood without necessarily enjoying the guidance of an instructor. When I began working in the laboratories in 1964 at the Natal Blood Transfusion Service in Durban, South Africa, there was a commemoration plaque at the entrance of the building, from which I drew inspiration. The plaque carried a message related to the opening of this new blood service and read: ‘’In the service of humanity.’’ Writing the first book, with this in mind, and with a South African team of five, and then being fortunate enough to work with a much wider group of professionals from around the world, in providing this update, means that the book is brought to you yet again, in the service of humanity. Rob Wilkinson: In the twelve years since the release of the first edition of Introduction to Blood Transfusion Technology in June 2008 I have been gratified to see the extent to which the book has been used as a learning resource in Africa. As a member of the team from the Africa Society for Blood Transfusion working to strengthen blood services in Africa I was privileged to visit many less developed blood services throughout Africa, where easy access to training materials are sorely needed, and it was humbling to see “our book” being used and discussed by laboratory and collection staff alike. This has been motivation enough to participate in the preparation of this, the second edition, which I trust will prove to be at least as useful as the first edition, and which will, in some small way, contribute to the safety of blood transfusions in the developing world. My personal thanks go to Beryl for her tireless and inspirational efforts in writing, editing and generally shepherding this work to its conclusion.