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May 2024 Challenge

quint

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Posts posted by quint

    Converting "A","B", and "AB" blood group to "O"

    in Transfusion Services

    Posted

    from web md

    http://www.webmd.com/news/20070403/converting-blood-types-may-be-possible

    Converting Blood Types May Be Possible

    Technique Makes Type A, B, or AB Blood Act Like Type O Blood

    By Miranda Hitti

    WebMD Health News

    Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

    April 3, 2007 -- Scientists have found a way to convert blood types in a test tube. If their approach works in people, it could be a boon to the blood supply.

    The news appears in Nature Biotechnology.

    The four blood types are A, B, AB, and O. They are based on the presence or absence of specific antigens -- foreign substances that cause the production of antibodies. Blood type is inherited.

    To avoid potentially deadly reactions, type A blood can only be given to people with type A or type AB blood. Type B blood can only be given to people with type B or AB blood.

    Type O blood is often in demand because it can be safely used in any patient.

    Scientists have long looked for ways to make type A, type B, or type AB blood compatible with anyone. But until now, those attempts have had limited success.

    Now, scientists report success with a new technique tested in a lab.

    The researchers studied 2,500 enzymes made by fungi or bacteria and found two families of enzymes that make type A, type B, or type AB blood act like type O blood.

    Scientists working on the study included Qiyong Liu of ZymeQuest, the Massachusetts-based company developing the enzyme technique.

    Their technique needs further testing. But if it succeeds, it "would substantially reduce pressure on the blood supply," states a Nature Biotechnology editorial.

    The editorialists included Geoff Daniels, PhD, FCRPath, of the Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences in Bristol, England.

    Cutting off blood bank ID bands

    in Transfusion Services

    Posted

    Surgery cuts off Blood Bank ID armbands at will. I don't like it, but we have reached an agreement. The bands are cut off only by anesthesia in OR. The band is put on the patient's chest (we don't have any chest cutters here) or forehead. Before the patient leaves the OR, anesthesia (same one who cut the band off) must put the band back on the patient. If the patient reaches PACU without the band, the crossmatch and all specimens are null and void, no exceptions. We have lots of anesthesia locums coming through but this still works pretty well for us.

    Sure you're not at our place? OR is routinely giving us a major headache.:mad:

    Moving Equipment

    in Education / Quality

    Posted

    Make them buy you new refrigerators for the new Blood Bank!

    Then you can validate the new ones before moving your stock into them. If you do it right the refrigerators can be part of the building budget instead of coming out of your capital budget.

    That's the plan I have, as we will be moving in a couple of years to the as yet not completed building.

    I actually put in a capital budget request for new refrigerators for when we move and was told thay they already are a part of the new building budget...lucky me!

    Agreed

    Temperature monitoring vendors

    in Vendor Section

    Posted

    We used the Rees system from 1991 to 2006 and then switched to CIMScan by CIMTechniques. As a longtime Rees scientific customer I can tell you that the system works as described, but is a closed and proprietary system. So everything must be bought from Rees, installed by Rees and calibrated/validated by Rees. It gets a bit expensive if you want to add new items to the system. CIMTechniques is a smaller company but is not proprietary. You can monitor whatever you want and can add probes to the system yourself if you are so inclined. Choosing a monitoring system is a big task and what you choose needs to take into consideration the cost of future expansion, annual service costs and customer service. When you get right down to it, these are the only marked differences between the various vendors. I caution you to avoid wireless. Everyone loves wireless and it is very sexy by tech standards but it is not as bullet-proof as a simple wire pair. If you really want to be all inclusive in you RFP, Include CIMTechiques and Veriteq in your list of vendors, too.

    I could go on for pages about alarm systems but the big points are to look at the cost of expansion, simplicity of alarm testing and calibration/validation. In those aspects CIMScan has the competition beat, but Rees still has the market share.

    We did a complete vendor review with Cim and Rees. I am not sure about the past but you can add and validate probes yourself with Rees, if you chose to. Also, real costing (outside labor,service ,validation,downtime,training...) Rees was less expensive for our facility. They offered wired and wireless which also was a deciding factor. We actually have wired in our bloodbank and wireless in our main labs for flexibility. I agree that wireless is the new flavor of the month out there. I also agree that you should get presentations from multiple vendors. Ask for references. Make sure there are local facilities on your list.

    Good Luck kwm

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