Practical Transfusion Medicine

ACE: Advanced Continuing Education
7.00 CE
Medical Credits
On Demand available On Demand through May 2026

Course Overview

This on-demand course will provide an update on various scientific, technical, and clinical aspects of transfusion medicine. Experts in the field will share their take on recent or interesting literature, as well as their valuable experience, on new usage of blood components, the role of transfusion medicine in conditions such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia, transfusion reactions, blood compatibility and challenges in feline blood transfusion including xenotransfusion.

The canine and feline sections of the course will each conclude with a video on practical aspects of blood collection in dogs and cats, followed by a round-table discussion between the presenters to debate controversial aspects of transfusion medicine and address any unanswered questions.

This course was made possible thanks to the generous support of Bridger Veterinary Specialists.

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Who Should Attend

  • ACVIM Diplomates and Candidates
  • ECVIM-CA Diplomates and Candidates
  • ABVP Diplomates and Candidates
  • ACVAA Diplomates and Candidates
  • ACVECC Diplomates and Candidates
  • ACVS Diplomates and Candidates
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Agenda

Learning objectives:

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the characteristics of fresh frozen plasma and its derivatives and choose the most appropriate product for a given patient.
  2. Explain the benefits, limits, and potential risks of transfusion therapy in specific conditions, such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia.
  3. Recognize and manage the various clinical presentations of transfusion reactions, as well as investigate them.
  4. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the different crossmatch techniques and implement the most suitable one for your clinical context.
  5. Discuss the most appropriate course of action when faced with an incompatible crossmatch result.
  6. Describe best practice in terms of blood collection in dogs and cats.
  7. Describe and discuss current topics in feline transfusion medicine, and explain the circumstances in which xenotransfusion may be a reasonable option, while being aware of the inherent risks.

     

Key differentiators:

  1. The virtual format allows for the invitation of a large panel of recognized experts whereby material can be presented in both traditional lecture format and interactive panel discussions. Participants will be encouraged to submit questions to help improve clinical practice.
     
  2. Up-to-date research breakthroughs and expert clinical experience that have immediate clinical impacts will be provided throughout the course.
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Cost

CategoryPrice
ACVIM Diplomate; European Partner Diplomate$380
ACVIM Candidate; European Partner Resident$190
Nonmember Diplomate$515
Nonmember Candidate$255
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Meet the Instructors

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Maude
Marie-Claude Blais, DMV, DACVIM (SAIM), Fellow (Transfusion Medicine)
COURSE LEADER
Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine
University of Montreal

Dr. Blais completed her SAIM Residency at Tufts University and a Transfusion Medicine Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a SAIM Professor at the Université de Montréal since 2008, and the Director of the CHUV Blood Bank, reflecting her interest in all aspects of transfusion medicine! Much of her research focuses on blood compatibility, in particular the Dal canine blood group and the newly described Feline Erythrocyte Antigens. She participated as a chair member in the ACVECC Consensus on the Rational Use of Antithrombotics in Veterinary Critical Care guidelines and co-authored the "Erythrocyte Antigens and Blood Groups" chapter in the Schalm's Veterinary Hematology.

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Humm
Karen Humm, MA, VetMB, CertVA, MSc, DACVECC, DECVECC, FHEA, MRCVS
Associate Professor in Transfusion Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care
The Royal Veterinary College, UK

Dr. Humm graduated from Cambridge University in 2001 and spent time in small animal practice prior to a rotating internship at Liverpool University.  She joined the RVC as an ECC resident in 2005 and never left! She is now an Associate Professor in Transfusion Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care and works as Co-Director of the ECC department and Director of the Transfusion Medicine Service.

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Lisa Powell
Lisa Powell, DVM, DACVECC
Manager
Telehealth and ER Engagement and ER/CC Clinician, BluePearl Veterinary Partners

Dr. Lisa Powell graduated veterinary school from Texas A&M in 1995, completed a small animal rotating internship at the AMC in NYC in 1996, and then went on to a residency in small animal emergency and critical care at Tufts University, finishing in 1999. She became board certified in Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2000.  Following residency, Dr. Powell joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota where she worked as a clinical professor for 15 years. She is an author of more than 30 veterinary journal articles, book chapters, and authored a book entitled “Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care: Case Studies in Client Communication, Morbidity and Mortality”. Dr. Powell is a national and international speaker on all things emergency and critical care! She is currently a Manager of Telehealth and ER development, program manager for emERge, and an associate critical care clinician at BluePearl Veterinary Partners. Her clinical interests include cardiopulmonary disease, high flow oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, and innovative clinical teaching methods.
 


 

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john thomason headshot
John Thomason, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)
Associate Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine
Mississippi State University

Dr. Thomason is an associate professor of small animal internal medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University (MSU). He received his DVM from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and earned his M.S. in Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State University. He completed his residency in small animal internal medicine at Mississippi State University prior to joining the faculty. Dr. Thomason’s research interests are in hematology, hemostasis, transfusion medicine, and immune mediated disorders.

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Odunayo
Adesola Odunayo, DVM, MS, DACVECC
Professor
University of Florida

Dr. Odunayo is The Michael Schaer professor of emergency and critical care at the University of Florida. She attended veterinary school at Oklahoma State University (2005) and completed a rotating internship at Hollywood Animal Hospital, Hollywood FL. She then completed an emergency and critical care internship at the Animal Emergency Center in Glendale, WI and a residency in emergency and critical care at the University of Missouri (2010). Her clinical interests are diverse but the absolute favorite part of her job is being by her patients’ bedside. She also enjoys research studies that answer practical clinical questions and has a focus in acid suppression and venous access. Outside of work, she is drawn to culinary adventures and traveling the world.


 

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Claire Sharp
Claire R. Sharp, BSc, BVMS, MS, DACVECC
Associate Professor, Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care
Murdoch University

 Dr. Sharp is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care with a keen interest in blood banking and transfusion medicine for dogs and cats. Claire is Section Head of Emergency and Critical Care at The Animal Hospital at Murdoch University, in Perth, Western Australia, and runs a large community blood bank through the hospital. Claire’s research interests include understanding coagulation factor stability in dog plasma and stored whole blood, as well as approaches to ameliorate storage lesion in dog and cat blood products. 
 

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Hale
Anne S. Hale, DVM
Medical Director
Zia Pet Hospital

 Dr. Hale is formally trained in small animal internal medicine with a comparative postdoctoral NIH fellowship in transfusion medicine.  She has been an active translational scientist in the cellular therapy world for over 25 years with successful translation of lyophilized small molecules and cells for use in transfusion and regenerative medicine.  Dr. Hale is a recognized speaker and author with recent publications in cellular therapy for use in control of shock, hemorrhage and endotheliopathy.  Her clinical practice limited to small animal Internal Medicine has been focused on immune mediated diseases as well as utilization of cellular therapies for immunomodulation and endotheliopathy.  Dr. Hale has successfully completed comparative veterinary clinical trials developed to support the One Health Initiative as both Level 1 evidence-based medicine for common transfusion and cellular practice and preclinical support for human cellular therapies.  Active in organized veterinary medicine through the New Mexico Veterinary Medical Association as a recent president, she has been involved in the legislative clarification of transfusion and cellular therapy for animals.  She is a member and past board member of the Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine.  

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CE Credits

On-Demand Course registration:  This program has been approved for 7.0 hours of anytime, non-interactive distance, seminar/lecture continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE-approval.

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