Leaderboard

I don't know of any regs or accreditation standards, however your software vendor may have a stipulation about how many versions users can be behind before they stop supporting the software. You might check with them.

Has anyone come up with a way to comply with the "peer review" in AABB Standard 8.2 (Transfusing facilities shall have a peer-review program that monitors and addresses transfusion practices for all categories of blood and blood components.) other than presenting data at Transfusion Committee Meetings?

Hello All, For CAP, what is everyone doing for Antigen Typing Alternate Proficiency testing? For my facility, CAP says an alternative assessment is required for this. Would the ungraded part of the J-A where we actually do antigen typing suffice for this requirement as long as our % is >98%? Side Note: I'm a newbie BB Tech Spec that will take any and all advice, recommendations, helpful hints, suggestions, and words of wisdom. Also, feel free to send cookies

We have pre-determined Doe names -- we go down the phonetic alphabet with a different number as the "middle" name each time through the list, i.e., Doe, Alpha 35; Doe, Bravo 35; etc. As a level II trauma center, we have 2 levels of traumas -- full and partial. We usually have a name with the partial traumas, but the full traumas are assigned the Doe names and are given a new Medical Record #. The admissions dept. quickly registers the patient when word arrives that the patient is coming in. We use the Mobilab system, so the armband label is placed on the patient and labels made by scanning the armband are placed on the specimens -- so we have the two identifiers that are needed. When the real patient ID is made, admissions puts in the name but leaves the Doe name in parantheses on the armband and other patient ID. The new MR# given stays with the patient at least as long as that initial blood bank specimen is valid (72+ hours to midnight). At that time, if there was a pre-existing MR# for the patient, the accounts are merged. When uncrossmatched units are issued, we place them in a cooler and write the unit information on a cooler log sheet. Since this is an extension of our blood storage refrigerator, the nurses sign the unit out of the cooler using the log sheet. We have patient ID information on the log sheet, but we do not go over all of the unit information at the time the cooler is issued. We use Meditech in our facility, and Barcode-enabled Transfusion Administration (BCTA) is used -- so one nurse can check the unit with the patient when using the computer for the other nurse. We also use Electronic Crossmatch that makes our lives much easier. This system works very well for us.

We do not read back every unit at time of issue for traumas, emergency issue. We do insist that they bring something printed with the patient name (real or made up trauma) and the medical record number. We match that to the paperwork that goes with the units in the cooler and hand them the cooler. They are still required to perform the bedside check and the time of transfusion.