PRESIDENT, SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PATIENT BLOOD MANAGEMENT

It is a rarity that any book on the human body or its varied complex organ systems can be written in such a way that it represents definitive state-of-the-science while also providing pragmatic applications thereof.  In Blood Works: an Owner’s Guide, the authors succeed in doing just that.

This book clearly outlines how blood is an organ and this will potentially come with insufficiencies or failure as with any other of our body’s organ systems.  An insufficiency or failure must be addressed in similar fashion to how we approach diseases of our other organs, such as our heart, our brain, our kidneys; i.e. etiologies must be identified and appropriate therapies/interventions utilized to preserve the patient’s own blood and hopefully return the patient to good health. 

The authors confirm and affirm that blood is a precious fluid within our bodies and attention to it’s preservation is paramount.  They adeptly merge the concept of blood health with current science and, most importantly, with the patient perspective in a comprehensive, yet unbelievably approachable way.  Plain text, explanations and definitions are interwoven with easy-to-read, purpose-driven charts, figures and illustrations.  The use of short synopses and key points at the beginning and end of each chapter help to solidify the extensive information and concepts and allows for ready retrieval for the reader.  Several lists are provided with focused questions that patients should ask themselves and their care givers as part of the authors’ strong message regarding shared decision-making throughout the spectrum of care.

In my view, the most profound feature of this book, and what truly sets it apart, is the saliency it brings via the multiple patient stories.  From the Forward by Dr. Farmer to the stories from around the globe, from patients both young and old, these shared experiences reflect the compassionate, humanistic touch we must strive for in Medicine today. 

Blood Works: An Owner’s Guide is timely, indeed, and long-awaited by those of us steeped in the practice and principles of comprehensive Patient Blood Management.  As mentioned in the WHO 2021 Policy Brief, billions of people are affected by anemia and millions more by bleeding disorders which contribute to the burden of poor health, resulting in serious adverse effects on quality of life.  Healthcare providers and patients must embrace the evidence-based and narrative/humanistic-based concepts of Patient Blood Management which serve to achieve and maintain blood as the special organ system it is.  As noted in the title of the book’s third chapter, blood is a patient’s own “river of life”.  The authors wish us to respect this, support this and move to making blood health a part of our everyday lexicon.

This book is a “must-read”.  I hope it causes a groundswell of PBM query and activity from patients and care-givers alike.  My heartfelt thanks to the authors and their many contributors for bringing this book to the fore.