BIO3100 Transfusion and Transplantation Course description

Medical laboratory technicians play a key role in transfusion medicine. They are responsible for ensuring that safe and correct blood products reach the patients at the right time. Work at a blood bank requires a good understanding of immunology, genetics and cell membrane chemistry, as well as the physiology and function of blood cells. Topics included in the course are selecting and taking blood from donors, producing blood components, blood typing, determining and identifying antibodies, compatibility testing and hemotherapy.

Medical laboratory technicians also perform important tasks relating to organ transplantation and stem cell treatment. The medical laboratory technician must have a good understanding of transplantation immunology in order to perform the laboratory investigations that are necessary before transplantation from a donor to a patient.

Medical laboratory technicians also perform the necessary laboratory investigations in connection with sperm banks and in vitro fertilisation. Since the transfer of biological material from a donor to a recipient is also key here, this topic is naturally covered in the same course as transfusion and transplantation.

The course consists of the following subject areas, specified below as the number of credits:

• Work at a blood bank 3,5
• Blood type serology 4,5
• Transplantation 1,5
• In vitro fertilisation and sperm banks 0,5
• Total 10

Passed the first and second years of the programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student is capable of

• explaining who can be a blood donor in Norway and how donors are selected in the blood bank
• describing how blood banks produce, control and store blood products such as erythrocyte concentrations, thrombocyte concentrations and plasma
• describing how different blood products are used in the treatment of patients
• describing which blood type systems, blood types and blood type antibodies are important in connection with transfusions, and in relation to hematological diseases in newborns
• describing the principles of basic blood type serology laboratory investigations
• describing causal mechanisms of diseases in babies and newborns due to blood type antibodies and thrombocyte antibodies
• describing complications that can arise following transfusion
• describing causal mechanisms relating to hemolytic transfusion reactions
• demonstrating knowledge of laboratory analyses conducted in connection with transplantation and stem cell treatment
• demonstrating knowledge of methods and laws relating to sperm donation, egg donation and in vitro fertilisation

Skills

The student

• is capable of selecting and taking blood from a donor under supervision
• masters basic blood type serology laboratory investigations and can assess the significance of the analysis results

General competence

The student is capable of 

• identifying and discussing ethical issues in the fields of transfusion and transplantation medicine and in vitro fertilisation
• showing care and respect for patients/donors
• cooperating with fellow students, colleagues and patients/blood donors regardless of their ethnic, religious and cultural background
• is capable of using innovation and entrepreneurship as a method of thinking in healthcare

Work and teaching methods include three weeks- practical laboratory work in blood type serology/immunohematology and lectures by resource persons from the professional environments. The course includes five days- practical training at a blood bank.

In connection with the course, the students will also take part in the Innovation Camp, which is held for third-year students on several of the faculty’s bachelor’s degree programmes. The students take part in interdisciplinary cooperation focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship as a method of thinking in healthcare.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• a minimum of 90% attendance in laboratory work and practical training at a blood bank
• a minimum of 80% attendance in scheduled group work
• digital story from the practical training at a blood bank, approx. 5 minutes
• attendance at Innovation Camp, or approved equivalent assignment*

*Students who attend Innovation Camp in the elective course BIO3000 International Public Health are exempt from the requirement

Exam content: The learning outcomes

Exam form: Combined exam:

1) Individual practical exam, 4 hours

2) Supervised individual written exam, with a combination of multiple choice and open questions, 1,5 hours  

One grade is awarded based on the following weighting of the parts of the exam: Practical exam 70%, written exam 30%. Students must be awarded a pass grade A-E for both parts of the exam in order for a student to pass the course. 

Students can appeal the grade awarded for the written part of the exam.

Resit exam: If the student is awarded an F in one part of the exam, this part of the exam must be retaken.         

Practical exam:

• «Veileder for transfusjonstjenesten i Norge» (Helsedir.)
• «Laboratorieprosedyrer i transfusjonsmedisin, BIO3100» 

Written exam: None

Grade scale A-F 

Practical exam: One external and one internal examiner will assess all the students.

Written exam: An external examiner takes part in preparing the exam questions and assessment criteria and assesses at least 20% of the exam papers together with an internal examiner. One internal examiner assesses the remaining papers. The external examiner’s assessment shall benefit all the students.