Malcolm Needs

This thread is extremely similar to one begun by LaraT23 "Problems with cell#2 ortho screen cells". In no way am I moaning about the similaritiy of the thread, but in both threads people have stated that Ortho say that "nobody else has had this problem". It is this (Ortho's responce) that I find very worrying. Am I the only one who thinks that Ortho should look a bit closer into just what is happening (and, just maybe, be a bit more honest in saying that there is a more widespread problem)? :confused::confused:

When I was working with Carolyn Giles and Joyce Poole at the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL) in the early to mid-1970's when it was in London (and when Joyce was a mere Senior Medical Laboratory Technician) they called these near impossibly weak reactions (commonly known as "negative reactions") "Malcolm weaks". To my embarrassment, essentially negative, but scruffy reactions, are, apparently, still known as "Malcolm weaks" at the IBGRL. Sadly, It is my only claim to fame from when I was employed there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the other hand, generations of people who have passed through the doors of the Laboratory must think, "Who the heck is this Malcolm bloke"! :disbelief:disbelief:disbelief

Could well be Anna.

I think I meant that I am enjoying the challenge of trying to establish quality aspects.

It seems a very strange juxtaposition having "quality" and "fun" in the same sentence. I do not wish to cast aspersions (you know me much better than that Rashmi) but you do know that you can now self-refer to Occupational Health? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

I can't honestly say that e have noticed this.

What ** Old Thing! Yes, except for those forms associated with Hematos (our work-related computer system). Did I say that most of the forms we use are NOT waffle??????????????? Take the one where we record which pipette we use, in case there is a problem identified in two centuries time. Why, when we would see problems with our controls immediately, do we have this form? Because it keeps some jobsworth in a paid position (and, of course, the MHRA say we have to record these things, despite cogent arguements that it is so much faff - is that the word??????). :sarcastic:sarcastic:sarcastic

Isn't it amazing that, now we live in the paperless society, forms to do with Heath and Safety and with Quality (both essential parts of our work in the right place) have expanded in number exponentially and, what is more, since society has become more litigious, and the blamefree culture has been introduced, the versions of each document seem to change on almost a weekly basis? Just an observation. What happened to the time when people took responsibility for their own and other's health and safety, it was accepted that accidents happen and that blame was proportionate? :angered:

Yes. We use QPulse5. When we started to use this, I had all sorts of problems. Then I realised that this was not the fault of the computer programme;rather the fault lay nearer to home (I'm almost completely computer illiterate!). The system is somewhat complicated when you first start, but actually, if you press the correct buttons on your keyboard, it works well. I found that the main complication though was the fact that the computer did what I told it to do, rather than what I actually wanted it to do. I find this an awful lot with computers; it's very annoying! :cool:

THe correct email address is robert.stamps@nbs.nhs.uk.

We use to do that too, but we would also add time expired anti-A or anti-B to the mixture. This made the bubbles a very pretty yellow or blue (trouble was, the colouring used to stain the floor, and so we got found out). :D

Are these "extended panels" extra, or more expensive than the "normal panels"? If so, and excuse my cynicism, I bet they say these could help! :rolleyes:

Hi DMR, In the National Health Service Blood and Transplant in England, most of the Donath Landsteiner testing is performed at the NHSBT-Sheffield Centre (although, we do perform the test in my own laboratory at NHSBT-Tooting Centre from time to time). Within this Centre works a very good friend and colleague of mine, Bob Stamps, who is rightly regarded as the DL expert in the UK, having been involved in writing several papers on the subject. It might be worth your while emailing Bob and asking him for some information. The trouble is, I'm not sure of his email address! It is either robert.stamps@nbs.nhs.uk or bob.stamps@nbs.nhs.uk. If you try both, at least one of them should get through! If you are worried about contacting him out of the blue, just mention my name. If this is not urgent, send an email to my work at malcolm.needs@nbs.nhs.uk, detailing exactly what you would like to know, and I will gladly forward it to Bob. I hope this helps. Best wishes, Malcolm

Good for you. More power to your elbow. I couldn't agree more with you that it is educational. It's one of those meetings where you work hard (and play hard), but you learn an awful lot in the bars and eating areas, as well as in the lectures.

Don't worry Brenda. In the old days, part of a Pathologists training was to do on-call in blood transfusion. One of these (my Best Man at my wedding actually) regularly used to answer the telephone as, "Hello, Blood Confusion".

Oh phew! I thought that you could take offence (although it was not meant in any way like that)! Thanks. Now, about my dainty fingertips. Imagine four salamis, touched off with a log, and you've got my fingers and thumbs..... :disbelief:disbelief:disbelief

Hi there, I am just being nosy (as usual, many of my "friends" would say) but are any of the BBT Members from outside of Britain going to be over for the BBTS ASM next week (ish) in Manchester? If so, I would be absolutely delighted if you would make yourself/yourselves known to me (even if it is only to tell me to stop posting rubbish)!!!!!!! :please:

I like your method David and, oh boy, do I agree with your last statement!

I came across a superb bit of mis-spelling today by a doctor. It is the first time I have ever seen the word "Sir Name"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eyepoppin:eyepoppin:eyepoppin

I'm sorry; I know I'm a pain, but I am a little worried about the word "shaking" (although I do know what you mean). There are so many people nowadays who are very "anti-tube" that I would prefer the term "gentle resuspension by a slight rolling motion of the tubes". There; that's got that off my over-pedantic chest!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :redface::redface:

Two, maybe three years ago, the NHS in the UK went through something called Agenda for Change. This, supposedly, was to make pay equal throughout the NHS for equal work and responsibility. There are nine grades (although there are "sub-grades" to Grade 8). If you are a Grade 1 you pay to work (virtually - the pay is so bad). If you are a Grade 9, you are paid very well. Most Biomedical Scientists are between Grade 4 and Grade 8. I'm an 8b myself, with Grade 8C and Grade 9 above me - but no positions - even my boss, who is charge of RCI throughout the NHSBT is only a Grade 8C, so you can imagine how many positions there are in blood transfusion throughout the country who are Grade 8 (particularly for pure transfusionists, who do not also do haematology). The Grade is not based on the person, but based on the person's Job Description. Guess what? Most people's Job Description was changed to make them into a lower grade, and this was particularly so in certain parts of the country. I know of one person in charge of blood transfusion over five hospitals who was "offerred" a Grade 7 Job Description. Equal pay? Don't make me laugh. There are many very bitter Biomedical Scientists over here (although I fully admit I did quite well out of it myself). :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

We have to ABO group potential renal donors and recipients for a Renal Unit in the South of England (why we, as a Reference Laboratory perform these ABO groups, instead of their own Hospital Blood Bank is a mystery, but that is another story). One of the coordinators always writes on the donor request form "Potential Living Kidney Donor". I have often wondered how they revive these people to assess whether they are willing to donate this organ, if they are even willing so to do after being dead. I have pointed out on many occasions that "Living Potential Kidney Donor" might be a little more appropriate, but have been banging my head against a brick wall. :rolleyes:

In this case, I would have thought daily QC would be quite adequate.

No. The Testing Department does use an anti-D that detects Partial DVI, but they use something called Totem that is capable of detecting a wide range of other Partial D types, many of which would not be detected by "conventional" anti-D reagents. The Testing Departments do not, by the way, use DaiMed technology for their ABO and D typing. They use microtitre plates (I think). Any "strange" reactions they get with their anti-D reagents automatically means they hand the donor samples over to us in RCI for complete elucidation (although we cannot claim to always get the answer; we sometimes have to send samples off to the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory for molecular work-ups).

I agree; the donor is much more likely to be an Am, an Aend or something like that (much weaker than an A3 or true Ax). AS for how the donor was originally found to be a subgroup of A, they may be using the same reagents by the same technology as you now Jason, but was this so when they first detected the A antigen on the donor's red cells? In any case, in such a situation, a Testing Department worth their salt should pass over any suspected ABO descrepancy (even if it turns out not to be so) to their own Reference Laboratory so that it can be checked with extra reagents, extra techniques (adsorption and elution, as suggested), different temperatures of incubation, and may even test saliva for the presence of A substance (although it is exceedingly rare so to do in this day and age).