Leaderboard

The first edition was one of the books I used to study for the SBB exam - mid-80s.

Stay with glass if you can. The static issue with plastic not only makes if difficult to get the drop in the tube but it also affects the size of the drop which is generally smaller than you will be used to with glass but also very inconsistent.

I used Harmening for my SBB studies as well, though with my experience with students I find that it is also very approachable for the beginning blood banker. I have to confess (embarrassment) that I didn't really 'get' the Lewis system until I read that section in Harmening with its nice charts and tables .

We also outdate our aliquots 4 hours from prep and use a sterile weld. This allows us to dedicate a unit to a couple of babies. Our irradiator has a syringe adaptor that lets us irradiate exactly the amount they request.

The user (not the computer) in my facility selects a RBC component from the refrigerator for crossmatching. Are you restricting the definition of a crossmatch to include only serological methods? In 1987 the AABB allowed users to limit the serological crossmatch to the immediate-spin test if the antiglobulin antibody screen test was negative. Then, in 199?, the AABB allowed users to replace the immediate-spin crossmatch with a "computer crossmatch" to detect ABO incompatibility. Before this, the word "crossmatch" was prefaced with "major" and "minor". So the definition of "crossmatch" has undergone many changes over the years. The FDA allows Transfusion Services to use a qualified computer system to detect ABO incompatibility between donor and recipient in lieu of serological methods to detect ABO incompatibility, i.e., as stated by tricore, "Computerized Analysis of the Compatibility between the Donor’s Cell Type and the Recipient’s Serum or Plasma Type".

This is what FDA calls it! Ah, semantics. Guidance for Industry "Computer Crossmatch" (Computerized Analysis of the Compatibility between the Donor’s Cell Type and the Recipient’s Serum or Plasma Type) Also known as CAX.

We use a sterile connection device so that a closed system is maintained (and no hood is used our Transfusion Service for any component prep procedure). If you use an open system such as spiking the port directly with a syringe set, the parent (A0) unit will expire 24 hours from entering. All of our syringe products prepared are given a 4 hour expiration. Stephanie

I suppose so John, but like Peter Issitt before me (not that I am comparing myself with the great man), I am very keen on the use of correct nomenclature. Indeed, if my failing old memory serves me well, my first post on this site was all about that subject.

The other issue is wastage. We routinely have product returned at the conclusion of adult MTP's. As long as the units were stored correctly, we are usually able to use them for other patients. I doubt the same would be true of divided units...