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Is anyone utilizing an electronic system to verify the correct patient is getting the correct unit of blood, similar to the way pharmacy is developing, at the time the transfusionist is ready to give the product? We would like to have a handheld device that scans the patient armband and the unit identification and verifies that the unit in hand has been prepared for the patient. If yes, is this system driven from your blood bank IS, LIS or HIS. All details will be greatly appreciated as we explore options to improve patient safety.

The patient has come in as a new encounter. We type and screen the new sample and the patient eventually reflexes to an eluate. New sample, new eluate preparation and testing.

We prepare our elutions with Immucor's Elu-kit and have validated them in gel, which works great - both in testing and volume needed for the antibody identification. However, recently, we have seen a few interesting cases in which the patient is in the process of making an antibody and the antigen positive cells react with definite positive reactions (2+). However, on a majority of the antigen negative cells, there are definite junky, repeatedly-reactive, weakly positive reactions. After several weeks, the eluate 'settles down' to just the original antibody identified and the junky reactions are gone. Has anyone else had this experience or can explain what we are seeing?

We had a patient who was forming an anti-Jka from a March transfusion who tested negative with the new-reformulated screen cells on May 1 and was luckily not transfused. The patient was retested a week later and the screen cells were weakly positive. When the May 1 sample was investigated, the anti-Jka reacted 2+ with the old black cap screen cells and weak pos or negative, depending on incubation times, with the new formula of screen cells. This is the opposite of most of the testing we have performed. We have done 45 positive screens, 48 negative screens and 45 antibody panels in parallel. Additional info gained this weekend on subsequent testing. anti-Jka was not able to be detected until 5/8. Reactivity on 5/1 actually was anti-Cw so our concern is abaited.

Does anyone have the blood bank supervisor performing the procedure manual annual review or must it be the Director/Technical Supervisor of immunohematology - who must be an MD, DO, or PhD, according to CLIA - performing the annual review. Currently, our MD medical directors designate that task to me - the blood bank supervisor (only an MT(ASCP)SBB). I have been recently informed that CLIA requires the MD/DO/PhD to perform this task annually. (The MD's approve/sign the procedures initially). If that is true and it can't be designated to an MT, can someone provide the specific reference so I can update my SOP? -Thanks

We outdate our saline cubes 30 days after opening as required. There has been a question raised as to how to insure that the saline on the benches are not outdated, so one of my transfusion services changes out the bottles (they have 2 sets that they alternate) each time the cube outdates. Now the question posed is what type of cleaning would be required for these nalgene saline bottles. My other sites just empty and reuse the same saline bottles indefinitely. Does anyone know of any regulations or guidelines to determine what we should really do?