The EDQM, Council of Europe, has just released the 20th edition of the Guide to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components (also known as the Blood Guide). Used in more than 90 countries, the Blood Guide is considered a gold standard in blood transfusion. It supports professionals in applying common, harmonised standards in this field to protect donors for the benefit of recipients worldwide.
The Blood Guide is elaborated by a dedicated working group of experts nominated by the European Committee on Blood Transfusion (CD-P-TS) to provide state-of-the-art recommendations and guidelines. This new edition introduces major changes in terms of structure, as the “Principles” and “Standards” sections in particular have been merged, providing a clearer overview to users and facilitating consultation.
The Blood Guide includes the “Good Practice Guidelines”, which were jointly developed by the EDQM and the European Commission and must be transposed into national legislation at member-state level, in line with the Directive (EU) 2016/1214 requiring that blood establishments comply with these guidelines for their quality systems.
See also:
- Find out more about what is new in the 20th Edition of the Guide to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components on its dedicated web page.
- The electronic version of the Blood Guide can be downloaded for free online.
- Consult the dedicated web page to learn more about the CD-P-TS activities.