On May 21, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) released the 22nd edition of its Blood Guide, a key reference for blood donation and transfusion professionals. The updated guide addresses current public health challenges with revised chapters, including a thorough update on haemovigilance and new sections on blood components for topical use and emergency supply planning. It also updates donor selection criteria and standardizes terminology, reinforcing EDQM’s commitment to ethical, non-remunerated blood donation and high-quality transfusion practices. The updated Blood Guide keeps the previous references to PBM but incorporates a new section on “Blood Supply Continuity Management” which lists PBM, highlighting that elements of PBM should be put in place to support the clinical management of blood in emergency situations.

You can find out more about the Blood Guide here.