The guideline group was selected to be representative of UKbased medical experts. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched systematically for publications in English from 1966 until October 2009 using a variety of key words. The writing group produced the draft guideline which was subsequently revised by consensus by members of the Haemostasis and Thrombosis and Haemato-oncology Task Forces of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology. The guideline was then reviewed by a sounding board of approximately 50 UK haematologists, the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) and the British Society for Haematology Committee and comments incorporated where appropriate.

First published online 15 March 2010
doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.2010.08122.x
British Journal of Haematology, 149, 352–375