Basic & Applied Concepts of Blood Banking and Transfusion Practices

**Selected for 2026 Doody's Core Titles in Laboratory Technology**

Master the role of the medical laboratory scientist working in the blood bank and transfusion services! Basic & Applied Concepts of Blood Banking and Transfusion Practices, 6th Edition combines scientific principles with practice tips to engage learners with realistic laboratory experiences. These concepts are delivered through relevant case studies and critical thinking exercises. The text provides an overview of topics including quality and safety, the major blood groups, blood collecting and testing, transfusion reactions, and blood component preparation. Written by Paula Howard and Wyenona “Nonie” Hicks, both experienced Medical Laboratory Scientists and certified as Specialists in Blood Banking (SBB), this text is ideal for students in any Medical Laboratory Science (MLS), Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), or Blood Bank Technology (BBT) training program, as well as for practicing laboratory and healthcare professionals who wish to train for work in blood banks and transfusion services.

• NEW! Full-color illustrations that break down concepts for enhanced learner comprehension, especially for those who favor visual learning
• NEW! Did You Know?, Case Study, ALERT! What’s the Impact?, and Practice Tips provide important facts and guidelines to prepare you for situations encountered in practice
• NEW! Additional case studies relate to donor qualification and testing, ABO discrepancies, molecular immunohematology techniques, antibody identification, stem cell transplants, and coagulation disorders, offering extra practice in critical thinking development
• NEW! Cell therapy and flow cytometry information, expanded HLA and platelet antigen and antibody material, detailed molecular genetic information in the Rh blood group system chapter, and an expanded molecular genetics section prepare you for the questions you’ll be challenged with on the certification exam
• NEW! End-of-chapter Critical Thinking and Study Questions are keyed to the objectives
• Coverage of current clinical practices includes transplantation and cellular therapy, the HLA system, molecular techniques and applications, automation, blood donor qualification, collection and testing, component manufacturing and transfusion practices, therapeutic phlebotomy and therapeutic apheresis, and antibody identification and special techniques
• Learning features in each chapter break down difficult concepts with outlines, learning objectives, key terms with definitions, special callouts, chapter summaries, basic and challenging case studies, critical thinking exercises, and study questions
• Numerous new, updated, and expanded tables summarize key information and make it easier to compare content. These will certainly continue to provide excellent references for graduates practicing in blood banks and transfusion services
• Updated illustrated blood group antigen toolbars show at a glance the ISBT symbol, number, clinical significance, reactions to chemical treatments, and more for antibodies
• Comprehensive glossary provides definitions to key terms throughout the text
• Expanded online resources for students and instructors include additional study/test questions and case studies

Paula Howard worked at Johnson & Johnson as the Principal Scientist in Ortho Clinical Diagnostics for seven years, at OneBlood, Inc. as the GxP Training Manager for 2 years and Director of Regulated and Business Application Training for 3 years. She has certificates in eLearning instructional design and is currently working as a career coach.

Wyenona “Nonie” Hicks, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB attended the Medical Technology program at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, where she earned her MT(ASCP) certification. She later earned a Master of Science degree in Transfusion and Transplantation Science at the University of Cincinnati’s Hoxworth Blood Center in Ohio, as well as her ASCP(SBB) certification. Of her 38 years of working experience, “Nonie” has spent almost half of that time doing what she loves best, teaching. Her roles as an educator include the following: 1) Manager of Medical Technology Education at OneBlood, Inc. where she taught Blood Bank Technology (BBT), MLS, and SBB students (distance learning); 2) Adjunct and full-time MLS Instructor at the University of Central Florida; 3) Full-time assistant professor in the Clinical Laboratory Science BS and MS programs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis TN; 4) Adjunct instructor for Rush University’s distance learning SBB program; and 5) Adjunct instructor for University of Cincinnati’s Medical Laboratory Science Online AS to BS Program. She has published articles and delivered lectures at local, state, national, and international meetings.