International rare donor panels: a review.

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Immunology
• Public Health

Background:

• International rare blood donor registries are essential for managing scarce blood resources.
• Consistent availability of rare blood is critical for patients requiring these specific types.
• The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) established a Working Party to address challenges in rare blood inventory management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of international rare blood donor panels.
• To emphasize the need for cultivating and growing the global rare blood donor database.
• To underscore the necessity of protocols for identifying, recruiting, and managing patients with rare blood types.

Main Methods:

• Countries contribute donor phenotype or genotype information to a central database.
• Collaborative efforts support the WHO International Rare Donor Panel.
• Protocols are developed for donor identification, recruitment, and patient management.

Main Results:

• Global rare blood donor databases are being cultivated through country contributions.
• Challenges exist in fulfilling requests for extremely scarce blood types worldwide.
• Effective management strategies are needed for patients requiring rare blood products.

Conclusions:

• International collaboration and database growth are key to rare blood availability.
• Proactive identification and recruitment of rare blood donors are necessary.
• Appropriate patient management, with or without rare blood product availability, is paramount.