The Transfusion Medicine Laboratory is committed to the mission of Johns Hopkins Medicine through education, research, and clinical care. Our faculty and laboratory actively participate in scholarly activities to advance the field of transfusion medicine and support the learning of healthcare professionals.
Our ACGME-accredited transfusion medicine fellowship program develops future leaders of transfusion medicine through a one or two-year practical experience leading to the Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine certification through the American Board of Pathology (ABPath).
Our CAAHEP-accredited Specialist in Blood Bank Technology/Transfusion Medicine program prepares Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS) to obtain their Specialist in Blood Bank (SBB) certification through the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
The Johns Hopkins Hospital Transfusion Medicine Laboratory is one of the busiest transfusion services in the United States. Annually, Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS) perform testing on more than 120,000 specimens which include over 98,000 ABO/Rh types and antibody detections (Type & Screen) and 56,000 crossmatches.
The Transfusion Medicine Laboratory provides specialized diagnostic services for our patients to resolve serologic complications that may affect blood transfusion using specialized serologic and molecular testing methods. Our laboratory performs over 3,500 antibody identifications annually. Additional immunohematology testing includes direct and indirect antihuman globulin testing, elution, adsorption, titration, antibody inhibition, enzyme and chemical treatments, fetal-maternal hemorrhage screening, cold agglutinin testing, the Donath-Landsteiner test, drug-induced hemolytic anemia studies, and molecular testing for blood group antigens. Additionally, our laboratory collaborates with the American Rare Donor Program in the procurement of rare antigen-negative red blood cell units for patient transfusion.
The Transfusion Medicine Laboratory provides comprehensive support to all routine and specialized areas of care for oncology, obstetrics, fetal therapy, neonates, solid organ and bone marrow transplants, surgery, and patients with hematologic disorders. Our transfusion service provides approximately 80,000 blood components and 6,600 tissue products annually and collaborates with the Hemapheresis and Transfusion Support (HATS) clinic and the Johns Hopkins Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery on evidence-based approaches to blood management.