Dutch hold "mini" conference on tissue vigilance
To help improve transfusion safety, in accordance with EU Directive 2002/98/EC, the Dutch National Haemovigilance Office, TRIP, receives and analyses reports of transfusion reactions and promotes haemovigilance.
The directive aims to ensure blood components are of comparable quality and safety in all EU member states, and there is a similar directive for human tissues and cells (Directive 2004/23/EC). In the latter, article 11 requires that Member States ensure they have a system to report, investigate, register and transmit information about serious adverse events and reactions.
TRIP is run by representatives of professional organizations and is therefore independent of blood and tissue establishments. Haemovigilance and tissue vigilance have many similarities. A tissue vigilance system can help to improve the quality and safety of tissue and cells and can learn form existing haemovigilance systems. In August 2006, TRIP launched the tissue vigilance pilot.
Haemovigilance, a system to collect data about blood transfusions, was shown at the ITEG in Berlin recently. It ‘mini-conference’ on tissue vigilance will take place on 9 May in The Hague (www.tripnet.nl).
01.05.2007