Malcolm Needs

In turn, I see from where you are coming Steve, but I would argue that Agenda for Change should have sorted out these discrepancies, but recognise that this has, in no way, happened. :(

I absolutely, utterly and completely agree with both you and L106 concerning these sentiments. There is NO logic to this whatsoever. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

You could try telling the physician that any blood issued to the patient is issued as uncross-matched if they do not provide a second sample, and that they are, therefore responsible if there is any reaction, and follow this up in writing so that you are legally covered. You may well have to have the backing of your Medical Director, but if he/she is worth his/her salt, you should get this without question. My experience is that the very thought that the physician may actually be held responsible for their actions in relation to a blood transfusion, particularly one involving uncross-matched blood, works wonders!!!!! :confused::confused:

I can assure you that Steve is one of the good ones! I know that money isn't everything (although, of course, it helps!), but what really annoys me as much as the non-blood banker bosses who override (or try to) those of us who know a bit about it, but the fact that they also, very often, get paid considerably more than the most senior person in the blood bank, because they "have to look after blood bank too". In many hospitals in the UK, the person in charge of blood bank reaches a "glass ceiling" in terms of pay, because they will never be able to reach the level of the most senior member of staff in haematology, chemical pathology, microbiology, histology, etc, etc. :angered::eek::boo::angered: (JUST) ONE OF MY PET MOANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We bought our 10-year-old son Harry a DVD called "Addams Family Values" for Christmas (amongst the rest of what was on sale in Croydon - my wife Dee did the shopping!!!!!!!). In this, their daughter Wednesday smiles at one point. She scared everyone by doing this. I really cannot think what brought this scene to mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :confuse::confuse:

To follow up my own post (sorry), I will give an example. During my career, I have had the misfortune to have dealt with at least five major incidents. These included three bombs, when the IRA were operating in London, and two train crashes. On the fourth occasion, despite the fact that I was nominally in charge of the Blood Bank, the person in charge of Haematology (who was my line manager, and who knew basic blood transfusion, but who had never dealt with a major incident in his life) happened to be around, and "took charge". I cannot give too many details, otherwise personal identities would be revealed, but suffice it to say, the result was near chaos, and the victims survived "despite", rather than "because of". This sounds very egocentric on my behalf (for which I apologise), but it was, nevertheless, true. :mad::mad::mad::mad:

Eh? Can I have that in writing?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D:D

Yes, except now, to get above the basic grade, you need a Master's (unless you are as old as me - this came in after I got to Chief).

I have been in that position, and believe me, not only does it feel like an insult, IT IS AN INSULT! :angered::angered:

Sorry, I mean 19S, not 15S. I'm a twit. :redface::redface:

I totally agree with you that this, on the face of it anyway, is a ridiculous practice. I absolutely agree that, the more difficult you make it for the pregnant lady, the more likely it is that she will not bother to come for the shot of anti-D immunoglobulin. One question I have is, what if there is a foeto-maternal bleed 24 hours after the type and screen? The lady could well be sensitised in this time, if there has been a "silent" bleed prior to this and the bleed at 24 hours stimulates a secondary responce (but you sure as hell won't pick it up). Secondly, what if there is a large, but "silent" bleed after the 28 week anti-D is given? How does your BB Medical Director expect you to then tell the difference between immune and prophylactic anti-D? He/she might argue, "Yes, but how often is that likely to happen?" (either scenario). I would ask, how many times have you detected anti-D in a pregnant mother after the 72 hours, without there being an overt sensitising event? :eek::mad::mad::eek:

I somehow doubt it! It is an ultra-centrifuge that spins at VERY high rpm and which was used to discover that IgM was 15S and IgG 7S (the S being the Svedberg). It takes about a week to stop when it is at full speed. :D:D

I think this is unlikely, unless, of course, you are using a Svedberg centrifuge. :D

I usually agree with what you say Lara, but over this one, I'm afraid that I must go with the post from mhc. :redface:

I think what Bill is getting at (correct me if I am wrong Bill) is that, in the UK, the Blood Transfusion Laboratories in the Hospitals are very often run by a "senior" Biomedical Scientist (who may well be an expert in Blood Transfusion matters), but who has to report to a "chief" Biomedical Scientist in Haematology (who may well be an expert in Haematological matters, but who may well be "pretty average" in their knowledge of Blood Transfusion). In other words, the real expert in Blood Transfusion is responsible to, and subordinate to a Biomedical Scientist in Haematology, who may not have an in depth knowledge of Blood Transfusion. Is that correct Bill? :confused::confused:

Hi Antrita, If you find it difficult within your hospital to know the patient's history regarding Rhogam, spare a thought for those working in a geographically remote area from the patient, such as the Reference Laboratories! Getting this information is sometimes harder than pulling a tooth. :cries::cries:

BMS is Biomedical Scientist (Technician) and BT is Blood Transfusion. :):)

In my own experience in the UK (and my experience working in the hospital environment is limited to about 10 years, and none for the last decade) the person in Blood Bank would issue group O, D Negative blood (again, like you, sometimes group O, D Positive) and AB plasma blood components whatever the requesting doctor says, with the full backing of their own Pathologist, without contacting their own Pathologist, and, if there are any arguments to be had, these would take place later, with the presumption that the Laboratory was correct unless proven otherwise. And Lord help any doctor who tries to prove otherwise! :)

Thanks for having the idea in the first place and for starting this thread. I have a feeling it will merit 5 stars. :):)

One of my all time favourites was given to me by one of my mentors, Joyce Poole. She, in turn, got it from the late, great Eleanor Lloyd, who was the first Biomedical Scientist (Technician) to be given the honour of being made the President of the British Blood Transfusion Society. It was a very simple, but profound piece of advice about the world of Blood Transfusion. It was; "Enjoy, enjoy!" It is a piece of advice that I have taken to heart for the past 37 years, and have found it to be incredibly useful and easy to follow. I hope you all, also, find it useful. :D:D:D:D

Oh Lara, you are sooooooooooooo passe! These days you should be using *****-driver and screws; preferably a Phillips!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You get far longer lasting and stronger agglutination. :D:D:D:D

I really do wish I could, but it is a technique used, I think, exclusively by some of the hospitals my Reference Laboratory serves (in particular, by those hospitals in the east of the county), and one that we have yet to master ourselves! I sometimes fell that we are unworthy of performing tests for those in my mind, because we can rarely find these "antibodies" that they, apparently, can regularly detect! On Saturday, for example [and just in case Rashmi gets even more paranoid, it wasn't her Laboratory] I had a sample in on a patient with a GI bleed. DAT+ 4+ IgG only and a panagglutinin true, but free auto-antibody in the plasma gave results far <1+ [one or two cells making love to each other, whilst the vast majority were being wall-flowers] and I had to hold their hands and cross-match for them, whilst the patient had to wait about 4 hours for their transfusion [given the time it took for the sample to get to me, me to test it, me to cross-match it, and then to get the blood back to the hospital. I am still really worried that I could not find this auto-antibody, just in case...... The patient is fine, by the way!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D

One of ours for new staff members was sending them down to stores for a box of fallopian tubes. :eek::redface::eek:

splendid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :d:d:d:d

I think I'll try this. Then I can get them for having food in the Laboratory too!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :devilish::devilish::haha::haha: