Bio

Bio

Dr. Mrigender Virk completed his residency in Anatomic & Clinical Pathology at Georgetown University before joining Stanford for his Transfusion Medicine Fellowship. After completion of the fellowship, Dr. Virk joined the Department of Pathology as a Clinical Assistant Professor for Transfusion Medicine.

Clinical Focus

  • Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
  • Transfusion Medicine

Academic Appointments

  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology

Administrative Appointments

  • Associate Director, Transfusion Medicine Fellowship Program, Stanford University Medical Center (2018 - Present)

Professional Education

  • Board Certification, American Board of Pathology, Transfusion Medicine & Blood Banking (2018)
  • Fellowship, Stanford University, Transfusion Medicine & Blood Banking (2018)
  • Board Certification, American Board of Pathology, Anatomic & Clinical Pathology (2017)
  • Residency, Georgetown University, Anatomic & Clinical Pathology (2017)

Contact

  • 300 Pasteur Dr H1402 MC 5626 Stanford, CA 94305
    • Tel: (650) 724-1118
    Fax: (650) 723-9178

Teaching

Graduate and Fellowship Programs

  • Transfusion Medicine (Fellowship Program)

Publications

All Publications

  • Establishing a Satellite Transfusion Service Within an Academic Medical Center. American journal of clinical pathology Murphy, C. H., Lim, A. Y., Chua, L., Shan, H., Goodnough, L. T., Virk, M. S. 2020

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVES: Increasingly complex medical care requires specialized transfusion support close at hand. Hospital growth can necessitate expansion of blood bank services to new locations to ensure rapid delivery of blood products. We describe the opening of a new satellite transfusion service designed to serve the needs of a pediatric hospital.METHODS: Institutional transition teams and stakeholders collaborated to discuss options for providing blood at a new pediatric hospital. A staffed satellite transfusion service met the diverse needs of multiple services and was considered a compromise between a full new transfusion service and automated solutions.RESULTS: Initial challenges in establishing the laboratory included regulatory uncertainty and interactions between two hospitals' information technology services. Laboratory scientist staffing and actual use required adapting the satellite service to an emergency release-only model.CONCLUSIONS: A flexibly staffed satellite transfusion service met the most urgent needs of a pediatric hospital expansion. Review of implementation revealed potential process improvements for future expansions, including comprehensive routine and massive transfusion simulations. The challenges experienced in supplying staff and specialized blood products track with national trends. Other institutions may consider establishing a satellite transfusion service in the context of both increasingly sophisticated automated solutions and complex blood needs.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/ajcp/aqaa018

    View details for PubMedID 32157269

  • Optimizing O-negative RBC utilization using a data-driven approach. Transfusion Virk, M. S., Lancaster, D., Quach, T., Lim, A., Shu, E., Belanger, G., Pham, T. D. 2020

    Abstract

    O-negative red blood cells (ON-RBC) are a precious resource and the international blood banking community has become increasingly concerned with its inappropriate utilization. AABB recently made several recommendations to address the issue. Solutions must be multifaceted and involve donor centers, blood banks, and clinical departments. From the perspective of a hospital blood bank, it is difficult to rely solely on increased donor recruitment and ubiquitous blood typing of the entire in-patient population. We therefore focused on interventions within the blood bank to optimize inventory and policies to ensure appropriate ON-RBC utilization.Transfusion data over one year was examined for the rate of out-of-group/inappropriate ON-RBC. Furthermore, we assessed whether that rate was related to product life on the day of transfusion. We also examined our stock inventory levels and how excess inventory can contribute to inappropriate ON-RBC usage.The ON-RBC inventory level was decreased in order to reduce the rate of inappropriate transfusions while maintaining a safe level for optimal patient care. Compared to baseline, our intervention caused ON-RBCs to be transfused earlier in their shelf-life (9.27 vs. 11.15?days from expiration [DFE], p = 0.0012). This reduced the overall rate of inappropriate ON-RBC transfusions (67% vs. 54%, p = 0.0035), approximating 185?units of ON-RBC saved over the course of 6 months.A data-driven approach to optimize stock inventory levels is widely applicable; it can be adopted by numerous institutions to improve utilization and establish a benchmark for the broader blood banking community.

    View details for DOI 10.1111/trf.15713

    View details for PubMedID 32077488

  • Blood Donation During Pregnancy Due to Anti-Ku Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn LABORATORY MEDICINE Virk, M., Papakonstantino, K., Cai, W., Oh, D., Andrews, J. 2019; 50 (4): 421?25

    View details for DOI 10.1093/labmed/lmz020

    View details for Web of Science ID 000509470900017

  • Non-HLA Antibody-Mediated Rejection of Lung Transplant Masquerading Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury Yunce, M., Virk, M., Zhang, B. M., Mooney, K., Saleem, A., Shan, H. WILEY. 2019: 199A

    View details for Web of Science ID 000502826600470

  • Detection of Anti-ABO Antibodies by Flow-Based Assays Predicts Clinical Hemolysis in HSCT Patients Virk, M., Liu, H., Khoa Dang Nguyen, Chen, G., Tho Pham WILEY. 2019: 90A

    View details for Web of Science ID 000502826600201

  • A FLOW CYTOMETRY BASED ABO-BLOOD GROUP ANTIBODY ASSAY (FABO-AB) FOR PREDICTING HEMOLYSIS IN ABO-MISMATCHED BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION (BMT) Liu, H., Nguyen, K. D., Virk, M. S., Pham, T. D., Chen, G. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. 2019: 40

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.humimm.2019.07.035

    View details for Web of Science ID 000489085600033

  • International assessment of massive transfusion protocol contents and indications for activation TRANSFUSION Thomasson, R. R., Yazer, M. H., Gorham, J. D., Dunbar, N. M., Adhikari, P., Apelseth, T., Bahr, M., Blain, H., Bohonek, M., Boral, L., Browne, I., Cheng, N., Cohn, C. S., Corkery, C., Crumlish, J., Cushing, M. M., Delaney, M., DeSimone, R. A., Downs, T., Drobena, G., Dunn, R., Elahie, A. L., Evans, C., Fachini, R., Fadeyi, E., Fang, A., Fenwick, A., Fitzgerald, J., Flanagan, P., Fomani, K., Fortune, A., Gault, L., Godbey, E. A., Gorlin, J. B., Grossman, B. J., Harm, S. K., Hayes, C., Hervig, T., Hess, J. R., Howatt, M., Hudgins, J., Inaba, K., Jackson, B., Jacobson, J., Jacquot, C., Jaeger, N. R., Karafin, M., Kehoe, L., King, F., Klompas, A., Knudson, C., Kutac, D., Kutner, J., Lally, K., Lee, E. S., Long, A., McCabe, J., McCullough, K., McGinnis, E., Mei, Z., Mo, Y., Morton, S., Munnangi, S., Murphy, M., Nadeem, U., Nahirniak, S., Novak, D. J., O'Brien, K., O'Donghaile, D., Pagano, M. B., Pai, M., Peters, J., Prokopchuk-Gauk, O., Raval, J. S., Roback, J. D., Robinson, S., Rollins-Raval, M. A., Schultz, M., Schwartz, J., Shih, A., Shiner, M., Sinha, R., Staves, J., Swanson, B. R., Tocchetti, R., Treml, A., Uhl, L., van Buskirk, C., Virk, M., Voights, M., Wade, J., Weinstein, R., Wellman, R., Wendel, S., Westleigh, R., Williams, S. M., Wool, G. D., Yamada, C., Hitomi Yokoyama, A., Zantomio, D., MTP Use Study Investigators, Biomed Excellence Safer Transfusio 2019; 59 (5): 1637?43

    Abstract

    Massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) provide blood products rapidly and in fixed amounts. MTPs are commonly used in trauma but may also be used in other clinical settings, although evidence to support fixed-ratio resuscitation in nontraumatic hemorrhage is lacking. The goals of this study were to describe the types and contents of available MTPs and the clinical indications for MTP activation.A survey was distributed to 353 transfusion medicine specialists to assess the types and contents of available MTPs. Survey participants were invited to provide the clinical indications for consecutive adult and pediatric MTP activations for at least 6 months during 2015 to 2017.There were 125 completed surveys (35% response rate) including three from children's specialty hospitals. Most hospitals that treated adult patients (90/122, 74%) utilized only one MTP for all adult bleeding emergencies, while one hospital had no MTP. Of the 31 hospitals that provided more than one adult MTP, 20 provided MTPs specific for obstetric bleeding cases. Of these, 50% (10/20) included at least one pool of cryoprecipitate or fibrinogen concentrate in the first MTP round, compared with 14% (13/90) of the hospitals with one MTP (p = 0.0012). Fifty-seven hospitals provided the clinical indication for 4176 adult and 155 pediatric MTP activations. Although trauma was the single most common indication, the majority of adult (58%) and pediatric (65%) activations were for nontrauma indications.The majority of hospitals use a single MTP to manage massive hemorrhage. The majority of MTP activations were for nontrauma indications.

    View details for DOI 10.1111/trf.15149

    View details for Web of Science ID 000467578600005

    View details for PubMedID 30720872

  • ABO Antibody Detection with Biolayer Interferometry Virk, M., Khoa Nguyen, Khosravi, M., Miller, E., Tho Pham WILEY. 2018: 145A

    View details for Web of Science ID 000444475900335

  • Severe Underestimation of Serum Na following IVIG Treatment. Laboratory medicine Virk, M. S., Dean, N. P., Wong, E. C. 2018; 49 (4): 372?76

    Abstract

    Current chemistry analyzers measure ion concentration using ion- selective electrodes; however, may differ in the specific technology at the bedside versus the central laboratory. Instruments utilized for point-of-care testing (POCT) at the bedside use direct ion-selective electrodes, whereas central-laboratory analyzers use indirect ion-selective electrodes. Under most circumstances, these instruments will deliver the same result; however, various substances can cause interferences in one or the other. An 18-year-old Hispanic woman with a history of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) presented at Children's National Medical Center (CNMC) with a severe headache and required intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. Because a discrepancy developed between her point-of-care and central-laboratory sodium values, another instrument was used to retest the central-laboratory plasma specimens. The results were more in agreement with those from the point-of-care instrument and revealed a unique interference in sodium measurement related to IVIG use.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/labmed/lmy025

    View details for PubMedID 29897485

  • Rh Immunoprophylaxis for Women With a Serologic Weak D Phenotype. Laboratory medicine Virk, M., Sandler, S. G. 2015; 46 (3): 190?94

    Abstract

    It is standard practice for pregnant RhD-negative women who have not already formed anti-D to receive antepartum Rh immunoprophylaxis and, if they deliver an RhD-positive neonate, to receive postpartum Rh immunoprophylaxis. An estimated 0.6% to 1.0% of white women have red blood cells that express a serologic weak D phenotype. Of these women, approximately 80% will have a weak D type 1, 2, or 3 that could be managed safely as RhD-positive. Surveys of laboratory practice reveal a lack of standards for interpreting the RhD type for women with a serologic weak D and for determining their need for Rh immunoprophylaxis. RhD genotyping is recommended to determine the molecular basis of serologic weak D phenotypes in pregnant women as a basis for determining their candidacy for Rh immunoprophylaxis.

    View details for DOI 10.1309/LMUNUP4FJTUX2GCD

    View details for PubMedID 26199257

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