[Data Conversion Validation]

Do you have donor records or just patient records? If only patient records can your IS system choose not to convert records of patients it has flagged as deceased? Would this drop your numbers significantly? An institution i worked for went through a couple of such conversions and for one of them we did ,in fact,, check every patient record that had an antibody, but we had culled the deceased and we were a Blood Bank, not a donor center. It was still very tedious and we designated one tech to the project.

[2 cell verses 3 cell screen]

I agree that the zygosity of the cells is the important issue. When institutions started looking at immediate spin crossmatch in lieu of the antiglobulin phase, it became necessary to examine the makeup of the screening cells very closely. Most times it was found that 3 cells were needed to get the desired homozygous cells. That again is the important consideration for an institution using the electronic crossmatch.

[Immucor's ECHO machine]

Franklyn, we have an Echo and computer system is Misys/Sunquest and the export of results from Echo is fast and easy

[Here's one for those of you using the Echo..]

We are currently training staff to go live on Echo after using the ABS 2000. We too, are seeing some wells called negative that if the camera shot is viewed or if the strip is viewed on a light box are 1 + to 2+ positive. The ones I have seen are reactions with heterozygous E cells. My feeling for reporting purposes is to indicate the Echo results on paper and then put in a manual reading in another column. I think I would be comfortable reporting a result from the manual reading. The Echo results would not give you a firm interpretation in this instance so further testing would be necessary.

No testing system is perfect, we have to weigh the risks. In my career, most often the antibody that has been in question has been Anti-E.

[Anti-D titers on OB patients]

CSJuarez has this response perfect. Titering at delivery tells you nothing.

[ABS2000 Users?]

We too have an ABS 2000 that is giving numerous invalids that are very random in which control cell does not react. Service did not resolve the problem. Immucor has asked us to send them the files of these problems and to be sure that the stir balls are not handled, but dispensed from the dispenser. It sounds like they are getting numerous complaints and with luck, the problem will be resolved soon.

[ISBT and the MISYS computer system]

Does anyone in this forum have the MISYS (Version 6.1 or 6.2) system? I have some questions about how you are naming component types for the new ISBT bar coded products.

Are you differentiating components when the anticoagulant and/or volume is different, but it's the same product....i.e. Red Blood Cells (CPD/450ml) VS. Red Blood Cells (CPD/500ml) or another.....Red Blood Cells (CPD/450ml) VS Red Blood Cells (CPDA-1/450ml)?

Using our Codabar that we have now, we don't care about the anticoagulant in our Red Blood Cells, Leukoreduced. Whether it's CPDA-1 or AS-1, all are still placed in the computer system as LRC (Leukoreduced Red Blood Cell).

Hope this makes sense.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

We are new to Misys, but in our previous system, had named the products separately. as the American Red Cross has different product codes for these units. We have continued in that mode, planning for the ISBT 128 implementation and yes, it is a challenge to get suitable names, eg R3L and RL3 fot two slightly different As-3 products that are Leukodreduced. Don't know if this helps.