The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT), is a scientific society, founded in 1935, which aims to promote the study of blood transfusion, and to spread the know-how about the manner in which blood transfusion medicine and science best can serve the patient's interests. The society's central office is in Amsterdam, and there are around 1500 members in more than 90 countries.[1] As of May 2008, the President is Professor Erhard Seifried. Past notable Presidents include Geoffrey Tovey.[2]
The society organizes every even year an international congress and in odd years two regional congresses, one in Europe and one in Asia. The Society advocates standardisation and harmonisation in the field of blood transfusion. A recent example is a standardized bar coding system for blood for transfusion: the ISBT 128 standard for blood products. Blood banks in the United States have been expected to use this standard as of May 2008 to meet AABB Standards.[3] It is also used in the United Kingdom,[4] Germany,[5] and other countries.
The other major impact on the transfusion community is the classification of various Human blood group systems under a common nomenclature. ISBT's coordination also extends to obtaining donors with rare antigens, a process that often involves international searches, and a common terminology is critical to that process.
ISBT also collects and distributes funds for research involving blood and transfusion activities, including research in developing countries.[6] Through Wiley-Blackwell publishing the society manages a research journal entitled Vox Sanguinis, often cited as "Vox Sang".[7]
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