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Kate Chipperfield
MD, FRCPC

Investigator, BC Children's Hospital
Head, Division of Hematopathology, BC Children's Hospital

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a mainstay of treatment for individuals requiring surgery, with traumatic injury, undergoing chemotherapy and with anemia due to bone marrow failure or other medical conditions. Despite this, red cell transfusion has been associated with poorer outcome in many of these patient populations [Hebert, 1999, Villaneuva 2013]. As well, it is a costly treatment and the product is often in short supply due to demands in excess of donor availability. Utilization trends increase year over year on a provincial and national basis, and this is unlikely to change in light of our aging population.

For these reasons, there is interest at all levels of care to ensure that RBC transfusion is undertaken only when necessary; when no other reasonable treatment option is available. My current research focuses on assessing blood transfusion practices and adherence to current recommendations.

Academic Affiliations

  • Clinical Professor, , Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
  • Research Theme: Childhood Diseases
  • Research Group(s): Childhood Cancer and Blood Research; Immunity in Health and Disease; Implementing Knowledge for Equity and System Change

Contact Information

Assistant

Michelle Dittrick

michelle.dittrick@cw.bc.ca

Location

4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6H 3N1

(604) 875-2044

kate.chipperfield@cw.bc.ca

Striking emperipolesis in megakaryocytes of gray platelet syndrome

Blood

Eric McGinnis and Kate M. Chipperfield

DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019000494

06 / 2019

Microparticle content of platelet concentrates is predicted by donor microparticles and is altered by production methods and stress.

Maurer-Spurej E and Larsen R and Labrie A and Heaton A and Chipperfield K

DOI: 10.1016/j.transci.2016.07.010 PubMed: 27470708

08 / 2016

Acquired peanut hypersensitivity following platelet transfusion.

Ponnampalam A and Growe G and Loftus P and Chipperfield K and Bigham M

DOI: 10.1111/tme.12148 PubMed: 25180861

12 / 2014

Should intraoperative cell-salvaged blood be used in patients with suspected or known malignancy?

Trudeau JD and Waters T and Chipperfield K

DOI: 10.1007/s12630-012-9781-x PubMed: 22996966

11 / 2012

Temporal trends in the treatment of severe traumatic hemorrhage.

Heidary B and Bell N and Ngai JT and Simons RK and Chipperfield K and Hameed SM

DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2011.12.012 PubMed: 22417848

05 / 2012

Concomitant and successive amplifications of MYC in APL-like leukemia.

Bruyre H and Sutherland H and Chipperfield K and Hudoba M

DOI: 10.1016/j.cancergencyto.2009.11.001 PubMed: 20113841

02 / 2010

Erroneous automated optical platelet counts in 1-hour post-transfusion blood samples.

Maurer-Spurej E and Pittendreigh C and Yakimec J and De Badyn MH and Chipperfield K

DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-553x.2008.01097.x PubMed: 18752538

02 / 2010

Platelet quality measured with dynamic light scattering correlates with transfusion outcome in hematologic malignancies.

Maurer-Spurej E and Labrie A and Pittendreigh C and Chipperfield K and Smith C and Heddle N and Liu Y and Yi QL and Barnett M

DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2009.02302.x PubMed: 19903289

11 / 2009

Past and future approaches to assess the quality of platelets for transfusion.

Maurer-Spurej E and Chipperfield K

DOI: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2007.05.005 PubMed: 17900491

10 / 2007

Posttransplant diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of "lymphomatoid granulomatosis" type.

Saxena A and Dyker KM and Angel S and Moshynska O and Dharampaul S and Cockroft DW

DOI: 10.1007/s00428-002-0694-x PubMed: 12587601

12 / 2002

A novel immunocytochemical assay for the detection of serotonin in platelets.

Maurer-Spurej E and Dyker K and Gahl WA and Devine DV

DOI: 10.1046/j.0007-1048.2001.03302.x PubMed: 11849219

03 / 2002

Current Project

I am currently supervising a project to audit RBC transfusions administered across various hospitals in Greater Vancouver. We will gauge whether the transfusion was appropriate or inappropriate based on most current guidelines. The cumulative results of the audit will provide information to hospital Transfusion Medicine (TM) leaders, ordering clinicians, hospital executive and the Ministry of Health (MoH), and form a baseline for future RBC Utilization Management (UM) endeavors. This information will have the potential to influence quality outcomes for patients.

Grants

2010-2014. Co DIVO RCT

A randomized controlled trial of high quality platelet concentrates as determined by ThromboLUX score versus standard of care platelets in patients with hematological malignancy.

2010-2011. Canadian Blood Services Grant. (Co-PI with E. Maurer) Comparison of in vivo outcome following transfusion of dynamic light scattering screened versus unscreened platelets.

2011. VCH Quality and Patient Safety. Development of On-line tutorial - Appropriate TM Practice for MD’s.

Honours & Awards

Award for Excellence in Clinical Service, UBC Dept of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 2011.

Faculty of Medicine Clinical Excellence in Teaching Award, UBC. May 2007.

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