We were cited for this at our last CAP inspection. We primarily use Echo automation for antibody ID and then use Gel and/or tube testing as backup. The CAP inspector was very insistent that we absolutely could never use expired panel cells no matter what. We would never use an expired panel as the primary ID for an antibody. We only use them to help us rule-in or rule-out when we have multiple antibodies or if we have a suspected KpA or JsA since there may only be one cell on a panel. No amount of talking coud convince her. I rewrote my procedures to indicate that Echo was the most sensitive, followed by Gel and then tube testing. If we were using a less sensitive method to ID we would include a positive cell to prove the antibody could be identified using the less sensitive method. I indicated that indate panels were used first and expired panel cells were used only for ruling-out or ruling-in as an aid for ID. I sent the writeups off with a wing and a prayer and expected the worst. CAP dropped it as if I had never been cited for it. Whew!! If they hadn't dropped it, I would be stuck sending some of my workups to the local national reference lab which uses expired panels and doesn't do QC which is exactly what we had been doing. (I checked) That would have been ironic to say the least. We don't keep rare antisera such as anti-k, -LuA, -KpA, -JsA, etc. so how do other hospitals do QC on expired panel cells? In addition to that, our panel cells usually don't have much volume by the time they are expired. You need three drops of cells to test and do QC and we are sometimes sucking up the dregs out of the bottle. By the way, I have been enjoying this site for years but this is the first time I have written a response.