Canadian Obstetrical and Pediatric Transfusion Network

The Canadian Obstetrical Pediatric Transfusion Network (COPTN) is a sub-committee of the CSTM. It was founded in 2017 and its mandate is to assess, analyze and strive to implement best practices in pediatric and obstetrical transfusion practice in Canada.

Committee representative includes pediatric hematologists, hematopathologists, transfusion medicine specialists, nurses
and transfusion safety officers from across Canada.

Activities include group projects and presentation of complex pediatric and obstetric transfusion cases.

Terms of Reference

Committee Membership

Committee Activities

Perinatal Consensus Conference 2022

The Perinatal Consensus Conference, titled: "Choosing wisely when performing antenatal and postnatal transfusion tests", brought together medical experts in transfusion medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, family medicine, and maternal fetal medicine to discuss controversial issues in antenatal, perinatal and postnatal laboratory testing. As a result the conference organizers from ORBCoN with support from CBS, Héma-Québec and CSTM hope to develop consensus statements and further educational materials related to performing antenatal and postnatal transfusion tests.

The presentations from the conference are available at: https://transfusionontario.org/en/category/orbcon-resources/presentation-library/perinatal-consensus-conference/

Choosing Wisely Perinatal Recommendations

Choosing Wisely Canada, in collaboration with the CSTM Canadian Obstetrics and Pediatric Transfusion Network (COPTN), has released the CSTM’s four new Perinatal recommendations.

View the Recommendations here

Canadian Survey of Perinatal Transfusion Practice

One of the first projects the committee undertook was to send out a Canada-wide survey pertaining to perinatal testing and RhIG administration practice in the perinatal population.The results of the survey represent a comprehensive picture of laboratory testing practices related to prenatal blood samples, RhIG eligibility testing and postnatal maternal and neonatal evaluations.

Survey Report

COVID-19

Coagulopathy and multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MSI-C) among pediatric patients with COVID-19 - Potential for developing a Canadian registry (PI: S. Tehseen)

Research Projects

Survey of Canadian practice related to preparation and issue of cryoprecipitate to neonatal and pediatric patients (PI: Dr. Morrison)
National survey of blood practices related to intrauterine transfusions (PI: Dr. Bodnar)
A comparison of the pediatric massive hemorrhage protocols across Canada (PI: V. Arsenault)

Completed Projects

Retrospective assessment of the direct antiglobulin test on neonatal cords (PI: Dr. Bodnar)