Dr Claire Armour (Barrett) is a Specialist Physician who is passionate about Blood Health and how it intersects with Patient Blood Management. She strives to develop both research and education in this field. Her special interest in the field of Blood Health is Iron Deficiency.  

She is the Head of Research and Development at the School of Clinical Medicine at the University of the Free State. Her role is to develop research capacity, build collaborations, attract funding and increase research activities and outputs from the School of Clinical Medicine.

Claire is also the Chair of the Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee at the University of the Free State.

International Collaborations:

• Co-chair of the Global Transfusion Forum (GTF) Education Subcommittee
• Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Africa Society for Blood Transfusion
• Member of the International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Working Party for Clinical Transfusion

• Simmonds WM, Awuku Y, Barrett C, Brand M, Davidson K, Epstein D, et al. Guidance for the gastrointestinal evaluation and management of iron deficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa. S Afr Med J. 2024 Feb. 2;114(1b):e711. https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/view/71
• Naicker W, Klopper J, van Rooyen FC, van Marle A, Barrett C. Clinical Characteristics, outcome and early induction deaths in acute promyelocytic leukaemia at Universitas Academic Hospital South African Journal of Oncology. 2023;7(0), a245.
• Al-Riyami AZ, Bielby L, Moss R, Rahimi-Levene N, O’Kane A, Hess J, Saba N, Kim KH, Arora S, Dua S, Barrett C, Gonzalez C, Ferrari DM, Cini PV, Kumagawa M, O`Reilly C, Thrift L, Wendel S, Fachini R, Dias L, Tran LD, Steinsvåg C, Dunbar N. International Forum on Transfusion Education for Healthcare Professionals who Administer Blood to Patients in Hospitals and Health Services: Summary. Vox Sanguinis. 2023 Feb 10. https://doi.org/10.1111/vox-13408 4.
• Al-Riyami AZ, Bielby L, Moss R, Rahimi-Levene N, O’Kane A, Hess J, Saba N, Kim KH, Arora S, Dua S, Barrett C, Gonzalez C, Ferrari DM, Cini PV, Kumagawa M, O`Reilly C, Thrift L, Wendel S, Fachini R, Dias L, Tran LD, Steinsvåg C, Dunbar N. International Forum on Transfusion Education for Healthcare Professionals who Administer Blood to Patients in Hospitals and Health Services: Responses. Vox Sanguinis. 2023 Feb 10. https://doi.org/10.1111/vox-13409 5.
• Thibile S, Barrett C, Potgieter S, Joubert G, Malherbe J. Pure Red Cell Aplasia at Universitas Hospital: A 9-year review. S Afr Med J. 2022; 112(9):753 – 759.Adams JC, Barrett C, Spruyt M. Iatrogenic Blood loss in Critical Care: A prospective observational study conducted at Universitas Academic Hospital in the Free State Province, South Africa. Southern African Journal of Critical Care. 2022; 38(2):75-80.
• Meyer C, Barrett C, Joubert G, Mofolo N. The effect of the initial months of the COVID-19 national lockdown on MMed training activities at the University of the Free State. African Journal of Health Professionals Education. 22, Vol. 14 Issue 1, p33-41. 9p. DOI: 10.7196/AJHPE.2022.v14i1.1466
• ·van den Berg K, Glatt T, Vermeulen M, Little F, Swanevelder R, Barrett C, Court R, Bremer M, Nyoni C, Swarts A, Mmenu C, Crede T, Kritzinger G, Naude J, Szymanski P, Cowley J, Moore P, Black J, Singh J, Baijnath P, Mody P, MalherbeJ, Potgieter S, van Vuuren C, Maasdorp S, von Gottberg A, Louw VJ, Wasserman S. Convalescent plasma in the treatment of moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia: a randomized controlled trial (PROTECT-Patient Trial). Scientific Reports 2022;12:2552
• Smit Sibinga, Cees Th., Louw VJ, Nedelcu E, Al-Riyami AZ, Bakhtary S, Johnson ST, Rambiritch V, Seoraj V, Callum J, van den Berg K, Vermeulen M, Barrett C, Eichbaum QG, on behalf of the Subcommittee on Education of the AABB Global Transfusion Forum. Modelling Global Transfusion Medicine Education. Transfusion 2021;61:3040-3049
• Nienkemper M, Malherbe J, Barrett C. Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: Five years’ experience at tertiary hospitals in Free State Province, South Africa. South Afr J Crit Care. 2020;36(2):114-119.
• Sikhipha T, Malherbe J, Viljoen C, Joubert G, Barrett CL. Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in the South African Public Health Serring. Are we reaching the targets according to the ELN guidelines? South African Journal of Oncology. 2020;4(1),a158.
• Louw LD, Grobbelaar J, Henn L, van Zyl L, Wernich C, Wessels PL, Setlogelo O, Joubert, G, Barrett C. Management of blood products: Nursing knowledge and practices at an academic hospital. Transfusion and Apheresis Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transci.2020.102971
• Van den Berg, K, Vermeulen M, Glatt TN, Wasserman S, Barrett C, Peter J, Brittain D, Louw VJ. COVID-19: Convalescent plasma as a potential therapy. S Afr Med J. Published online 4 June 2020. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2020. v110i7.14983
• Barrett C. Primary healthcare practitioners and patient blood management in Africa in the time of coronoavirus disease 2019: Safeguarding the blood supply. African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine. 2020;12(1).
• Barrett C. Obstetric Anaemia in Africa in the Time of COVID-19: A Call to Action. ISBT Science Series. (2020)15,398-402.
• Barrett C, Mphahlele K, Khunou I, Mkwanazi T, Moshoeshoe P, Mabine M, Wessels PL, Selogelo O, Joubert J. The knowledge of transfusion and related practices among doctors at Universitas Academic Complex, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Transfusion and Apheresis Science, 59(2020) 102739. doi:10.1016/j.transci.2020.102739.
• Thomson J, Hofmann A, Barrett C, Beeton A, Bellairs GRM, Boretti L, Coetzee MJ, Farmer S, Gibbs MW, Gombotz HH, Hilton C, Kassianides C, Louw VJ, Lundgren C, Mahlangu JN, Noel CB, Rambiritch V, Schneider F, Verburgh E, Wessels PL, Wessels P, Wise R, Shander A. Patient blood management: A solution for South Africa. SAMJ. July 2019;109(7)471-6.
• Barrett WJ, Diedericks BJS, Barrett CL, Joubert G, Turton EW. Congenital heart defects in children with cleft lips and/or palates at an academic hospital in central South Africa. South Afr J Anaesth Analg. 2019;25(2):23-29.
• Lufundo N, du Toit Theron H, BarrettC. Challenges and diagnosis of isolated left ventricular non-compaction: A case series of 4 patients with echocardiographic diagnosis of possible ILVNC. SA Heart. 2019;16(1): 28-34.
• Barrett C, Webb M, Malherbe J, du Plooy S. Key amulets: A cultural clinical sign of epistaxis. Africa Sanguine. 2018;19(2).
• Van den Heever T, Barrett CL, Webb MJ, Spruyt MGL, Louw, VL. Postoperative internal iliac artery embolization as salvage therapy for bleeding in an HIV-positive patient with giant cell tumour of bone. The Southern African Journal of Critical Care. 2015;31(1):30-31.
• Bisiwe F, van Rensburg B, Barrett CL, van Rooyen C, van Vuuren C. Haemodialysis catheter related bloodstream infections at Universitas Academic Hospital, Bloemfontein, South Africa– Do we have to change our empiric antibiotics? South African Journal of Epidemiology and Infection. 2015; 30(1):29-33
• Barrett CL, Joubert D, Griffiths VP, Ebersohn S, Joubert G, Louw VJ, Webb MJ. Patients’ recall and perceptions regarding consent to blood transfusions at Universitas Academic Hospital, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Transfusion and Apheresis Science. 2014;5:19-24
• Sonnekus PH, Louw VJ, Ackerman AM, Barrett CL, Joubert G, Webb MJ. An audit of the use of platelet transfusions at Universitas Academic Hospital, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Transfusion and Apheresis Science. 2014;51:44-52.
• T van Heerden, MJ Webb, CL Barrett. Pityriasis rotunda as an incidental paraneoplastic finding in two patients with multiple myeloma.Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. 2014; 39:734-737
• Barrett CL, Louw VJ, Webb MJ. Exchange transfusion as a life-saving intervention in three patients with different haematological malignancies with severe hyperleukocytosis where leukapheresis was not available. Transfusion and Apheresis Science. 2013;49:397–402.
• Webb MJ, Barrett CL, Barrett SA, van Rensburg JJ, Louw VJ. Cranial plasmacytoma: a case series and review of the literature. Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. 2013;29(1):1-5
• Webb MJ, Barrett C, Pretorius C, van Jaarsveld M, Louw V. Chronic myeloid leukaemia and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Int J Hematol. 2012;95(5):556-63.
• Pieters M, Barrett CL, Goedhals J, et al. An unusual case of fatal gastrointestinal rhizopus oryzae infection in a diabetic patient. South Afr J Epidemiol Infect. 2008;23(3):18-20

• Blood Health
• Patient Blood Management
• Anaemia
• Transfusion Medicine
• Research Ethics

• Research Methodology for MMed students (NAMA7903)
• Mini-dissertation for MMed students (NAMB7900)
• MBChB Internal Medicine (MINT4810)
• Short Learning Programme in Patient Blood Management for Medical Doctors
• Short Learning Programme in Patient Blood Management for Professional Nurses