BankerGirl

I agree with Malcolm.  We have a pregnant lady who came to us from another town who has an immune anti-D that is reacting very weakly.  The gel antibody screen showed 2+ reactivity and the saline titer was zero with a score of zero as well.  The previous doctor had sent one previous titer that I am aware of and the results were the same.  Hopefully she stays that low, but it will be interesting to follow her to see if it rises.  Our last immune anti-D patient had a significant jump in her titer 1 month prior to delivery, but she started out much higher well.

Also, if you are handwriting the expiration date and time, you might consider converting directly from frozen FFP to Thawed Plasma.  You will confuse the nurses greatly if you change the expiration date twice, with the last one being LATER than the previous one.  Experience speaking here.  It also save you from having to process the unit twice.

Hi Terri,
We had our microwave installed yesterday and when I told the rep that I had gotten a validation document from someone that already had one, he replied "It must have been Terri Bostock".  Apparently he thinks highly of you!  I'm now in the process of figuring out how best to keep our smaller bags in the holders without having to buy the smaller holders.  Tried a couple of suggestions he had, and working on which one will work the best for us.

We received the investigation report from Immucor, and they were able to duplicate our results.  They tested the our panel lot with another anti-Cw and this showed reactivity.  Basically, they said we see what you see, we don't know why, but our product is working.  Too bad there wasn't enough sample to do more investigating.

I was able to scrounge up about 2 ml of plasma from hematology and blood bank and have sent this to Immucor for their investigation.  I don't know what they will find out, but suspect that with the age and limitted amount of specimen, they will not be able to do a full investigation.  I will post their response once they get the results.

We evaluate every anti-M, each time, for 37 degree reactivity.  Not taking any unnecessary risks.  Although I still have a few techs who will screen units regardless of clinical significance on the basis of "I see it, so I can't ignore it."

Ah yes, it is indeed the O.R.  We don't have the time to sit down and watch a play at the theatre (which is also theatre - same as OR, but with actors instead) - Mind you some of our surgeons are actors!!!!!
 
What an interesting language English is. 
Cheers
Eoin

My microbiology supervisor just told me this morning that if she ever needs blood on second or third shift, her husband has instructions to call me at home.

My microbiology supervisor just told me this morning that if she ever needs blood on second or third shift, her husband has instructions to call me at home.

When I became pregnant with my first child it was discovered that I had developed an anti-K from a previous blood transfusion.  After I returned to work I discovered that the blood banker doing my type and screen forgot to crossmatch antigen negative units.  Now granted, if I had needed blood, the odds were in my favor for receiving K neg units, but that didn't seem to work out too well with the first two units I received. With Baby #2 I reminded them to crossmatch the units this time. 

When I became pregnant with my first child it was discovered that I had developed an anti-K from a previous blood transfusion.  After I returned to work I discovered that the blood banker doing my type and screen forgot to crossmatch antigen negative units.  Now granted, if I had needed blood, the odds were in my favor for receiving K neg units, but that didn't seem to work out too well with the first two units I received. With Baby #2 I reminded them to crossmatch the units this time. 

When I became pregnant with my first child it was discovered that I had developed an anti-K from a previous blood transfusion.  After I returned to work I discovered that the blood banker doing my type and screen forgot to crossmatch antigen negative units.  Now granted, if I had needed blood, the odds were in my favor for receiving K neg units, but that didn't seem to work out too well with the first two units I received. With Baby #2 I reminded them to crossmatch the units this time. 

My microbiology supervisor just told me this morning that if she ever needs blood on second or third shift, her husband has instructions to call me at home.

Look through an old AABB Accreditation Information Manual, that's where I last saw it.  That was at least 10 years ago.
 
We did an extensive validation throughout our institution mimicking what happens to a unit of blood when it leaves here.  We took a unit of blood and split it in two, then place a TempTale temperature monitor in the middle and thoroughly rubber banded the unit back together.  We placed it in a fridge overnight.  Then when a product was being issued we took our fake unit out and had it travel the same route that the unit did.  Sat on the same counters, went to the same patient care area, sat on the counter there.  Then after the nurse took the real unit we took our fake unit back to the blood bank and let it sit on the counter until a total of 40 minutes elapsed.  We did this 10 times to each of the main areas we issued in our organization.  It took weeks to do.
 
We were able to "prove" that 30 minutes is an acceptable time for a unit to be out of our blood bank.  Sadly no one has ever asked to see this validation.

Well, we haven't been asked to store this yet....  I thought one of the many perks of TM was getting away from urine and stool samples!!!!!

Letters (A, B, C...) and/or numerics (1, 2, 3...) would take less space than the ONE, TWO, THREE you currently propose - just a thought.  If the numbers are buried a little deeper (STEPHANIE1) they won't bother most computer systems.

We are going to track the fecal transplants in Blood Bank just like we do for tissue, but we decided to store them in the ultra low freezer that is in Microbiology. I just couldn't bring myself to put it with my plasma or tissue.

I was on vacation when her second titer came through or we wouldn't have sent it out.  I have put a comment in her history file so she doesn't get sent off again unless her tube screen becomes positive.  Hopefully this will put an end to this nonsense.

I was on vacation when her second titer came through or we wouldn't have sent it out.  I have put a comment in her history file so she doesn't get sent off again unless her tube screen becomes positive.  Hopefully this will put an end to this nonsense.

Ahem...
My linguistic research reveals that a "misnomer"  is when a word is used that is "not proper or inappropriate".  Since and electronic crossmatch involves something electronic (the computer system) and a crossmatch (in the sense that the computer performs it, not the tech), then the tem is both proper and appropriate.
 
So the use of the word "misnomer", to describe the electronic crossmatch, is a misnomer.
 
(sorry, could not resist)
 
Scott

I added that just for you, Malcolm, I really did.

We do pretty much the same as Terri.  There are only three times we crossmatch units: 1. we have a give order, 2. the pt has an antibody or history, or 3. the OR requests blood in the cooler, usually for CVOR cases.  Love, Love, Love that Electronic Crossmatch, even if the name is a misnomer.

We do pretty much the same as Terri.  There are only three times we crossmatch units: 1. we have a give order, 2. the pt has an antibody or history, or 3. the OR requests blood in the cooler, usually for CVOR cases.  Love, Love, Love that Electronic Crossmatch, even if the name is a misnomer.

We do the same as above for scenarios A & B, but for C we treat them like A.  We don't make them register everytime, but if it is within the 3 days, they must keep their armband on.

From our blood administration policy:
 
NOTE: No blood components will be issued from the blood bank to personnel carrying any food
products into the lab. All lab staff have been instructed to stop any person entering the lab with
food or drink on their person.
 
Our secretary is very vigilant and strict on this policy.  Haven't seen them bring the blood to the cafeteria, but we still have nurses come to pick up blood after picking up their lunch.  They had no idea that was against policy.  (It is at the top of the policy, in bold type and highlighted in yellow.  Hmmm...)