National Italian Guidelines on Canine and Feline Transfusion Medicine

Background. The use of whole blood and blood components is a well-established worldwide procedure in both human and veterinary practice. Differently from the human counterpart, no recognised official veterinary regulation is available in the European Countries (EC). Objectives. Aim of this study was to identify standard analytical protocols for canine and feline blood donor selection, along with procedures for high quality production and storage of whole blood and blood components, to be adopted as an official guideline by the Italian Ministry of Health (IMH). Material and Methods. An Italian committee of veterinary specialists was designated, and a consensus process was carried out taking in account a comprehensive human and veterinary literature review. A list of analyses and standard operative procedures considering the risk/benefit ratio and as well as the quality standards for blood products were defined. Results. The laboratory tests for candidate blood donor screening included: blood typing and count, serum biochemical and coagulation profile, and urinalysis; serological and/or biomolecular investigations against blood borne pathogens considering the epidemiological framework and the donor lifestyle. Quality requirements as free Hb and microbiological evaluation to validate blood products were also established. Conclusion. These guidelines issued by the IMH represent the first example of a national official regulation in EC about this topic. Considering the ongoing evolution and improvements of veterinary transfusion medicine and the movements of dogs and cats across EC, coherent official EC regulations would be desirable through the establishment of an international expert panel.