Continental Blood Bank

What to know before you go: Tips for a first-time blood donor

The American Red Cross recently launched the Missing Types campaign to raise awareness of the need for new blood donors – and those who haven’t given in a while – to donate and help ensure lifesavi…

» How to Donate

There are several types of donations you can make through Blood Assurance which will make an impact in your community<br>Whole blood donors are the lifeblood of our community!<br>Whole blood donation is the most common form of donating: whole blood is collected from the donor and taken to the laboratory where it is separated into specific components, such as red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Donors can provide a whole blood donation every 56 days (8 weeks). A whole blood donation takes…

Why Is Too Many Red Blood Cells a Problem?

Polycythemia or erythrocytosis is a condition where the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. Certain procedures and medications can help.

Doctors' Mistakes in Genetic Test Orders Is Warning Signal to Pathologists and Clinical Laboratories

Almost one-third of medical laboratory test orders for complex gene tests contained mistakes in handling by ordering clinicians. This finding comes from a study by ARUP Laboratories, Inc.. The finding is an early warning flag for pathologists and clinical laboratory professionals that a gap exists between the availability of genetic tests and clinician knowledge of how and when to use them and how to interpret the results.

Researchers Determine That Individuals' 'Breathprint' Are Unique; May Have Potential for Clinical...

New research shows that a person's "breathprint" is as unique as a fingerprint and may be as effective as bodily fluids in diagnosing diseases. That same research effort is showing that it is feasible to combine breath specimens and mass spectrometry to accurately identify disease. That could give clinical laboratories a new methodology to use when creating diagnostic assays.

Preventing diagnostic errors by uniting the clinical laboratory with direct patient care

Doctoral programs are preparing experts to lead diagnostic management teams at hospitals, with promising early results

Cornell Researchers Identify Gut Microbes that May Help Some People Remain Thin; Findings Could...

Researchers at Cornell University have identified a family of microbes that may provide a genetic explanation for why some people are able to stay thin. If their findings are validated, pathologists might see a clinical laboratory test for this bacteria, along with a macrobotic regime to help people lose weight or stay lean.

Mouth Pipetting: Blogger Reminds Medical Laboratory Technologists of an Era When This Was Leading...

Mouth pipetting was the topic of a recent blog published by Body Horrors. The blogger recalled a time when clinical laboratory professionals routinely mouth pipetted specimens.

New Problem for Pathologists and Physicians: Should Patients Be Told about Incidental Findings...

When a genetic test for a certain type of cancer provides additional information that could affect the patient's health, what is the ethical course of action for pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists? Should this information be disclosed to the physician who ordered that cancer test? In turn, should that physician inform his or her patient about these "incidental findings?"

Not a Surprise for Pathologists: Study Determines Doctors Fail to Follow Up on as Many as 60%...

Studies performed in the United States show that, for ambulatory patients, doctors fail to follow up on as many as two-thirds of medical laboratory test results and up to one-third of radiology reports! A recent review of 19 of these studies also showed that these failures resulted in serious lapses in patient care.

University School of the Lowcountry students have first hand learning experience with faith groups

Learning outside of the classroom, that’s one of the major hallmarks of University School of the Lowcountry. Learning about and embracing differences leaves a profound impact. We’re in …

Dear Doctor: Why did the blood bank reject my donation?

I had my blood rechecked and all came back as negative, so why am I not allowed to donate again?

Hear How We Helped Shepeard Community Blood Center

If you are an Augusta native, the name Shepeard Community Blood Center probably rings a bell<br>To quote their website<br>“Shepeard Community Blood Center is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit blood center. Our mission is to collect, process, and distribute blood and blood products. We are the contracted provider for 20 local hospitals and we partner with you, the local volunteer blood donor to fulfill our…

Little evidence of health benefits from organic foods, Stanford study finds

Study Shows Too Many Electronic Alerts Cause 30% of Primary Care Physicians to Overlook Essential...

Physicians often overlook important clinical laboratory test results when they get too many alerts in a day. This was one of several findings from a study designed to see how physicians responded to alerts delivered through an electronic health record system (EHR).

Why donate platelets? You might help a kid survive cancer.

A lack of donors has an impact. "It actually puts a hold or delay on blood transfusions that are scheduled," American Red Cross employee said.

What to expect when donating blood for the first time

Donating blood is a selfless act. Perhaps because donating blood is often a simple, relatively quick process, donors may be inclined to downplay just how big a deal it is

How I Saved 2 Lives By Donating Blood

The thought of donating blood brings numerous people great anxiety. The image of a needle sticking into your arm while it sucks your blood into a bag to be used somehow can be difficult to comprehend. But what if you needed a blood transfusion and there was no blood to save your life? Recently, my …

10 facts on blood transfusion

Facts about blood donation, blood transfusion safety.