Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Queensland, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Blood donation is an important public health issue globally and locally. Recruitment and retention of blood donors are the biggest challenge for blood donation. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the motivators and deterrents for blood donation. PubMed, Medline and China Journal Net were searched using (blood donation OR blood donor) AND (motivation OR deterrent) and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Nine studies on motivators or deterrents for blood donation were retrieved. Taking into account the situation in Hong Kong and findings gathered from this systematic review, policy suggestions are made. Limitations of this systematic review are also discussed. This systematic review suggests that more Asian studies should be conducted to inform the culturally pertinent measures in Hong Kong. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

Objectives: The new red blood cell (RBC) parameters from automated haematology analyzers, such as reticulocyte haemoglobin content and percentage of hypochromic red cells or equivalent, are useful in the laboratory assessment of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). However, the clinical utility of these parameters are confounded by thalassaemia trait (TT) especially in geographical areas of high thalassaemia prevalence. We aimed to evaluate the new formula derived from some red cell parameters on the Beckman Coulter DxH800 in distinguishing between IDA and TT in Hong Kong population. Methods: A total of 246 normal subjects, 102 patients with IDA and 115 subjects with TT were accrued for the study. Concurrent chronic disorder and ovelapped IDA and TT cases were excluded. The new red cell parameters studied were red blood cell size factor (RSF), low haemoglobin density (LHD%), microcytic anaemia factor (MAF), standard deviation of conductivity of the non-reticulocyte population (SD-C-NRET) and unghosted cell (UGC). Comparison between groups was performed by student t-test and the diagnostic performance of the parameters was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Both LHD% and RSF were significantly higher in IDA than TT, whereas MAF was significantly lower. Although the biological basis was uncertain, SD-C-NRET was significantly lower in IDA than TT and showed the best diagnostic performance as a single parameter. A formula ((RBC+HB)*(HCT+SD-C-NRET))/(RDW-SD ) was devised to distinguish between IDA and TT. With a cutoff value of 23, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.995 (95% CI of 0.99 – 1.00), the sensitivity was 97% and the specificity was 99.1%. This formula was superior to other discriminant functions in the literature. The UGC number was not significantly different between alpha- and beta-TT. Conclusions: The new RBC parameters on Beckman Coulter DxH800 provided useful information in distinguishing between IDA and TT, which is important for clinical decision making and streamlining further laboratory testing. This index can be used to screen patients who are likely to be IDA or TT for further hematological studies to confirm diagnosis. / published_or_final_version / Pathology / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

No description available.

No description available.

Transfusion medicine is dependent upon the ability to hypothermically preserve red blood cell (RBC) function ex vivo. Recent evidence suggests that the deformability of hypothermically stored RBCs may be compromised, potentially leading to microvasculature occlusion and tissue hypoxia in transfused patients. The main objectives of this thesis were to develop an ektacytometric technique suitable for detecting RBC deformability changes, establish whether deficits in RBC deformability due to hypothermic storage are occurring, and investigate liposomes as a biopreservation tool to modify the function of RBC membranes. This thesis demonstrates that hypothermic storage leads to RBC deformability impairments which can be detected by ektacytometry. In addition, this thesis has shown that the membrane characteristics and deformability of hypothermically stored RBCs can be differentially modified by treatment with liposomes of varying chemical composition. Through these investigations, this thesis has contributed to the advancement of the fields of transfusion medicine and biopreservation science.

Graduation date: 1980

Graduation date: 1972

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 1981.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.