Dr. Cohn focuses her efforts in two areas: patient blood management and platelet storage and utilization. Patient blood management applies evidence-based guidelines to limit unnecessary transfusions and maximize patient safety. Cohn uses technology and smartphone apps to gather data, which can help guide clinicians with transfusion decisions. To help foster a good transfusion culture, Cohn and her colleagues have developed overlapping databases that allow them to monitor every transfusion made in the hospital retrospectively and determine whether they were made within guidelines. Their interactive patient blood management system enables them to specifically target education efforts to where improvement is most needed. A significant drop in red blood cell usage has occurred coincident with the development of this monitoring program aimed at conserving transfusion resources and lowering costs. The interactive and collaborative program Cohn and her colleagues have developed can be tailored for use in small and large hospitals that want to develop a comprehensive patient blood management system. Other institutions have adopted the guidelines they have developed. smartphoneCohn is also interested in new platelet storage options, platelet utilization, and patient immunologic reactions to donor plasma. The University is one of the largest users of platelets in the nation because of the large number of umbilical cord stem cell transplants performed each year. Following FDA approval in 2009, platelets can now be stored in additive solutions in addition to donor plasma. Platelets stored in additive solutions are less frequently involved in transfusion reactions because donor plasma contains cytokines, allergens, and other molecules that can trigger these immunologic reactions. Some patients develop antibodies to class I HLA molecules on platelet surfaces and are refractory to conventional donor platelet transfusions. In her capacity as associate director of the HLA Laboratory, Cohn's group is investigating whether these patients can be identified in advance of transfusion.
