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This article discusses the usefulness of component-resolved diagnosis in pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS). PFAS is a condition where individuals with pollen allergies experience oral hypersensitivity symptoms when consuming certain raw fruits, vegetables, peanuts, and tree nuts. The main allergens in Fagales pollen are pathogen-related 10 (PR-10) proteins, with Bet v 1 being the most common. This study presents a case of a patient with eosinophilic gastroenteritis linked to PFAS caused by sensitization to PR-10 protein. The patient's specific IgE for soy was detected by the component ImmunoCAP test but not by other tests. The article suggests that component-resolved diagnosis can help guide patients in avoiding certain food items and alleviate symptoms. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in transfusion practices to improve patient safety. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of PDA data collected at a single tertiary hospital in Korea. They found that PDAs were used for bedside checks in 95% of transfusion cases, and the overall PDA mismatch rate was 0.17%. The study identified 63 near-miss events that could have resulted in incorrect blood component transfusions, including 23 ABO-incompatible transfusions. The authors suggest that incorporating PDAs into transfusion practices can enhance the quality of care and reduce the risk of transfusion errors. [Extracted from the article]

Background: With increasing number of migrants in Korea, there is an increasing need for blood products with rare blood antigens. Accordingly, the role of blood donors among migrants has been acknowledged. We investigated migrants' experiences and perceptions of blood donation along with their sociodemographic status and identified the effects on selfreported blood donation status. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a self-developed, structured questionnaire was conducted on 479 migrants. The questionnaire included items about experiences, knowledge, and perceptions on blood donation and sociodemographic factors of respondents. Results: Most migrants in this study were from Southeast Asia (54.7%) or China (39.9%). Among them, 28.6% (N=137) had donated blood previously, and 2.7% (N=13) had previously donated blood in Korea. All previous blood donors were volunteers, and the two major deterrents of blood donation for non-donors were the fear of pain and lack of knowledge about blood donation. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, the country of birth (odds ratio [OR]=2.65, P<0.001 [China]; OR=4.85, P=0.001 [countries other than China and Southeast Asian countries]) and employment status (OR=2.80, P=0.034) were independently associated with blood donation. Conclusions: This is the first Korean study to analyze migrants' experiences and perceptions of blood donation in relation to their sociodemographic status. Our findings can help establish blood donation policies for migrants, devise campaigns to enhance blood donation awareness, and ultimately create a pool of rare blood resources in a multicultural society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with ongoing or expected bleeding require platelet (PLT) transfusions; however, owing to the testing required after a blood donation, manufacturing PLT products may take 1.5-2.0 days after a request is made. This supply-demand mismatch leads clinicians to retain spare PLTs for transfusions, leading to increased PLT discard rates. We developed a PLT inventory management program to supply PLTs more efficiently to patients requiring PLT transfusions within the expiration date, while reducing PLT discard rates. Methods: PLT concentrates (58,863 and 58,357 units) and apheresis products (7,905 and 8,441 units) were analyzed from May 2015 to November 2017 and from December 2017 to January 2020, respectively. We developed a program to manage total PLT inventories and prospective PLT transfusion patients based on blood type, blood product, and remaining period of efficacy; the program facilitates PLT preparation transfer to non-designated patients within the remaining period of efficacy. Results: The overall PLT concentrate discard rate was 3,254 (2.78%): 1,811 (3.07%) units before and 1,443 units (2.41%) after program application (P <0.001). The discard rate owing to expiration was reduced from 69 units (3.81%) before to two units (0.14%) after program application (P <0.001). Conclusions: This program can guide the allocation of PLT preparations based on the remaining period of efficacy, enabling PLT products to be used before their expiration date and reducing PLT product discard rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thalassemia is highly prevalent in Southeast Asia but is rare in Korea; however, Southeast Asian immigrant population is recently rising in Korea. We investigated the prevalence of thalassemia in Korea in the context of increasing immigration. Methods: This prospective, observational, multicenter study was conducted between September 2015 and August 2017. A total of 669 subjects <30 years living in Korea were grouped into the multiethnic (N=314) and Korean (N=355) groups. Hb electrophoresis and complete blood count (CBC) were performed. If low mean corpuscular volume with high red blood cell distribution width coefficient of variation or a high fetal Hb (HbF) or Hb alpha 2 (HbA2) level was observed, genetic testing of the α- and β-globin genes was performed. In addition, the number of potential thalassemia carriers in Korea was estimated by multiplying the prevalence of thalassemia in a specific ethnicity by the number of immigrants of that ethnicity. Results: Twenty-six multiethnic and 10 Korean subjects showed abnormal results for Hb electrophoresis and CBC. Eighteen multiethnic subjects and four Korean subjects were tested for α-globin and β-globin gene mutations. Within the multiethnic group, five subjects (1.5%) were α-thalassemia carriers, and six (1.9%) were β-thalassemia minor. The SEA deletion in HBA1 and HBA2, and c. 126_129delCTTT (p.Phe42Leufs*19) mutation of HBB were the dominant inherited mutations. Conclusions: The prevalence of thalassemia in young people in Korea is increasing due to the increasing number of Southeast Asian immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequencies of red blood cell (RBC) blood group antigens differ by ethnicity. Since the number of immigrants is increasing in Korea, RBC antigens should be assessed in children/ youths with parents of different ethnicities to ensure safe transfusions. We investigated the frequency of RBC antigens, except for ABO and RhD, in 382 children and youths with parents having Korean and non-Korean ethnicities. Subjects were divided into those with ethnically Korean parents (Korean group; N=252) and those with at least one parent of non-Korean ethnicity (non-Korean group; N=130). The 37 RBC antigens were genotyped using the ID CORE XT system (Progenika Biopharma-Grifols, Bizkaia, Spain). The frequencies of the Rh (E, C, e, hrS, and hrB), Duffy (Fya), MNS (Mia), and Cartwright (Ytb) antigens differed significantly between the two groups. Eight and 11 subjects in the Korean and non-Korean groups, respectively, exhibited negative expression of high-frequency antigens, whereas 14 subjects in the non-Korean group showed positive expression of low-frequency antigens. The frequency of RBC antigens has altered alongside demographic changes in Korea and might lead to changes in distribution of RBC antibodies that cause acute or delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]