Continuous Education in Blood Banking and Blood Transfusion Practice

Abstract

Continuous education of the staff of bloodtransfusion services (BTS) and hospital blood banks, as well as postgraduate teaching of physicians and surgeons in bloodtransfusion practice represents major tasks of bloodtransfusion services throughout the world. The sharp increase in basic scientific information on structure and function of blood cells and plasma constituents, the newly developed methods in processing of blood components and plasma fractionation, the advances in immunology, blood group serology, coagulation and cryobiology, the ever changing aspects of the clinical application of blood transfusion necessitate a regular house-staff and professional staff education program even in the most advanced bloodtransfusion centres. This is also of paramount importance in developing countries where the shortage of trained personnel represents the main limiting factor in the development of their national bloodtransfusion services.