tbostock

For the list of tests that I correlate (see above), we do 5 of each (at least one pos and one neg in the set of 5).

We have the TOPS 550s and we plan to implement HIT testing next year.

It's 4 hours from issue time from the Blood Bank.

We have had Epic for 6 years and dropped our BB band. Best thing we ever did. We require two draws, the second has to be OUR phlebs in the Lab using the MobileLab/Rover with barcode scanning. Our ED also has Rover, but can "cheat" by force printing multiple labels. So we never let them collect the 2nd. Until we get a second (we also use existing CBC tubes), we give type O.

Hello all. We are choosing between a Beckman DxH and a Sysmex XN. I would like comments from people who have recently (within 2 years) purchased either of these. Pros and cons. Specifically if you have the slide maker/stainer. Thanks.

This is what I'm hearing: Now the factory is very tied up with a FDA review. Ark Bio-Medical Canada Corp. reports that they are working with the FDA to resolve this issue. I think it is mostly involved with documentation. There have been no problems related to the methodology with the hundreds of units in place.

Agreed; getting a second type confirmation is not the big deal that clinicians think it is. We use CBC specimens drawn by our own phlebs using the hand-held device.

I've had inspectors (usually older ones) that are still not trusting of computers. Which I find very hard to believe in this day and age but...there are certain things I still print and keep just for them. I have fought citations and won, but sometimes you just want them to look at the stuff and keep moving. Much less drama.

Congrats on your retirement. I hope you are not retiring from posting here...we all really enjoy your input.

Currently ED techs draw blood. 40% of the specimens they send have issues (clotted, short sample, barcode on wrong, etc). I am working with the ED to give them more education, training, etc. I really wish our Lab phlebotomists could cover the ED, we would not have these issues. Yes, there is a lot of blame going on right now, so I am proving to them that "garbage in, garbage out". Unfortunately this is political, my pathologists can't change their minds on this. They currently do fingerstick glucose. They want Creat/GFR, urine preg, PT/INR (NO WAY!!!), and Troponin (NO WAY!!!). We are going to start with the Creat/GFR and when it probably fails, we'll come up with a better solution. Like...let Lab do Lab.

I only know of one lab that still does AHG crossmatches on every patient. Waste of time and resources. The resistance to change is always scary to me, after all, we're scientists.

Just addresses hemoglobin, but here you go.Early changes in hemoglobin after RBC transfusion.pdf

We use Softbank with Beaker. I've used them all over the years, and Softbank is by far my favorite.

We also use Softbank and have Epic BPAM and noticed the same problem with massive bleeds. We do the same, make more orders as needed and link them. I understand they are looking at fixing this in a future upgrade.

Yes the ED is in the same building. And we have a pneumatic tube system and a fully automated Lab. But the ED docs are pushing for a ton of Point of Care testing, and we already have tons of problems with compliance with the POC that we already have. So the edict came down: either tons of POC testing or a satellite STAT Lab. The problem with our current TAT for the ED is the very high volume of pre-analytical errors (mislabeling, short draws, clotted/hemolyzed specimens, etc). They think that if they just do all the Lab testing themselves, they will get instant results. So when told I have to do one or the other, I picked the STAT Lab. At least I can staff it with a Lab tech.