jdepew

We clean each cooler upon return with a Sani-wipeTM and record the initials of tech cleaning the cooler on the cooler sheet. This sheet has the name, medical record number, patient's ABO/Rh and units in the cooler listed on it. Also, it contains a place for nursing to check the cooler and unit temperatures at 4 hour intervals. it is kept in a plastic sleeve on the cooler lid.

We keep 4 units of O Pos and 4 units of O Neg in our STAT EMR lab. This lab is manned by a med tech 24/7. They have the keys to the refrigerator. The physician has to sign an emergency release uncrossmatched form before the blood is released. When they have an emergency release, they notify the blood bank and we restock whatever was used. The segments and labels are segregated in the blood bank to work up the specimen as soon as we receive it. Women over 50 and males receive O Pos. I will say that having the blood right there tends to make them give uncrossmatched more frequently in my opinion.

We also use 50 as the cut off for child bearing age.