Maha Othman: Establishing ISTH-BAT Reference Ranges for Children and Adolescents
Maha Othman, Co-Chairman SSC on Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy at International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis, shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article she and her colleagues co-authored, published in Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, adding:
“Delighted to share our international multicenter study, now published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (JTH)!
It was a privilege to lead this work alongside Dr. Paula James and an outstanding international team:
‘Global multicenter study establishes the reference range for ISTH Bleeding Assessment Tool scores in individuals under 18 years: communication from the SSC of the ISTH.’
The study included 1,168 healthy children and adolescents from 7 countries across 5 continents, providing important international evidence for interpreting the ISTH-BAT in individuals under 18 years.
Key finding: The data support an ISTH-BAT reference range of 0–2 for individuals younger than 18 years, while 0–3 may be considered for adolescent females aged 12–17 years, interpreted within the clinical context.
These reference ranges can support more consistent bleeding assessment and help guide the timely recognition and evaluation of inherited bleeding disorders in children and adolescents.
Especially proud of our trainees: Yousra Tera , first author and postdoctoral fellow; Ahmad Ekhtiar , Health Sciences student in the Othman Lab; and Ryan Babensee , Queen’s medical student, who contributed through his MEDS 232 Critical Enquiry Elective under Dr. James’ supervision in collaboration with our lab. Their contributions highlight the value of engaging trainees in meaningful international collaborative research.
Sincere thanks to our collaborators and teams across the world:
- Canada and US: Paula James, Margaret L. Rand, Jim Riddel.
- Egypt: Ahmad Darwish.
- Nigeria: Helen Okoye.
- Brazil: Margareth C Ozelo.
- UAE: Mozah AlMarshoudi.
- Pakistan: Munira Borhany.
- Italy: Elvira Grandone.
It was also wonderful to share this work at ISTH 2026 in Paris this past summer, including a poster presented by Helen Okoye , which received a Poster Award, and my oral presentation of the final data during the SSC on VWF session.”
Title: Global multicenter study establishes the reference range for ISTH Bleeding Assessment Tool scores in individuals under 18 years: communication from the SSC of the ISTH
Authors: Yousra Tera, Ryan Babensee, Ahmad Ekhtiar, Ahmad Darwish, Helen Okoye, Margareth C. Ozelo, Mozah Al Marshood, Munira Borhany, Elvira Grandone, Jim Riddel, Margaret L. Rand, Robert Sidonio, Jamie M. O’Sullivan, Ross Baker, Paula James, Maha Othman

Find more posts featuring Maha Othman on Hemostasis Today.
-
Oct 17, 2026, 17:27John Strouse: Building Standards for Whole-Person Sickle Cell Care Through Collaboration
-
Oct 17, 2026, 17:20Jean-Jacques Kiladjian: Exploring the Future of Polycythemia Vera Treatment at MPN Horizons 2026
-
Oct 17, 2026, 17:10Habib Bennaceur: Strengthening Collaboration in Haemophilia, Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassaemia in India
-
Oct 17, 2026, 16:58Danny Hsu: Building Connections at the AUSNBled Collaborative Dinner in Auckland
-
Oct 17, 2026, 16:48Kalyan Roy: Enhancing Patient Experience Through Learning and Collaboration
-
Oct 17, 2026, 16:43Wilfried Dinh: Antiplatelet Therapy in 2026: Duration is Becoming a Dynamic Decision
-
Oct 17, 2026, 16:37Ian Setchfield: Dr. Evans Presents on Safe Anticoagulation Prescribing at East Kent Hospitals
-
Oct 17, 2026, 16:33Lewis Thomas: Connecting Through Shared Experiences at ASCAT 2026
-
Oct 17, 2026, 16:29Nilesh Jethwa: Yasmin Adverse Event Reports Exceed 23,000 Over Two-Year Period