Choose Your Own Adventure: Exploring the Depths of Serology and Peaks of Genomics

Monday, October 21, 2024

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Location: Grand Ballroom C

CE: 1.5 CME (AMA Physician Credit) / 1.5 CE (Non-Physician Credit)

Program Chair(s)

Lynsi Rahorst, MHPE, MLS(ASCP)SBB

Manager, Education & Training, IRL/Genomics Labs
New York Blood Center Enterprises
Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

PDF

Speaker(s)

Lynsi Rahorst, MHPE, MLS(ASCP)SBB

Manager, Education & Training, IRL/Genomics Labs
New York Blood Center Enterprises
Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

PDF
Sunitha Vege, MS

Sr Technical Director, Genomics
New York Blood Center
Long Island City, New York, United States

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Michelle Lodermeier, MBA, MLS(ASCP)SBB (she/her/hers)

Sr. Program Manager, BBT
American Red Cross
Woodbury , Minnesota, United States

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Disclosure(s):

Lynsi Rahorst, MHPE, MLS(ASCP)SBB: No financial relationships to disclose

Sunitha Vege, MS: No financial relationships to disclose

Michelle Lodermeier, MBA, MLS(ASCP)SBB: No financial relationships to disclose

Session Desription: What do you do when you discover an unexpected antigen typing? Do you investigate history, rule out sample switch, opt for a different serologic technique, or refer for DNA testing? What about when you encounter an antibody of unidentified specificity? Which test do you perform next, and once the antibody is identified, how is clinical relevance determined? When the safety and well-being of the patient are at stake, possibilities can be overwhelming, test results difficult to interpret, and answers elusive.

In this interactive session, participants will act as blood bankers and make critical decisions to shape the outcome of complex and uncommon serology and molecular case studies. Key decision paths will be discussed throughout the cases to illustrate the value and limitations of specific serology and molecular methods and to arrive at an accurate interpretation of test results. Blood Bankers will enhance their knowledge of options to consider when unusual results occur for application in future cases. Clinicians will gain insight into various testing approaches to reach appropriate transfusion considerations/ recommendations.

Learning Objectives:

Decide when further investigation is warranted, given immunohematology and genomics testing results.
Choose between options for resolving a complex immunohematology workup, including the following methods: antigen typing, adsorption/elution, cell separation, chemical treatments, titers, and hematology tests.
Select the molecular method that is most appropriate in donor and patient cases: an in-house developed assay to detect specific single nucleotide variants, commercial SNP arrays, Sanger sequencing, and next-generation sequencing.
Interpret immunohematology and genomics results correctly, including making appropriate transfusion and RhIG recommendations when applicable.