tsitsai

Whenever a suspected transfusion reaction is called, we ask the caller to stop transfusion right away and to notify patient's physician. When i worked in hospital, we waited for the patient's physician to call transfusion reaction, floor was responsible for evaluating patient's situation and consequent actions (floor might decide to give patient tylenol or benedryl or maybe blood was given too fast or whatever reasons), after evaluation, if the doctor decided to call it a transfusion reaction, floor would send us a completed form with all information (clerical check, unit check and information, date/time of start and stop, symptoms, vitals...), plus post-transfusion samples and remaining blood bag, we then work up the reaction. In hospital where there is chemistry, usually LDH and bilirubin are ordered together. Now, i work in a blood center, we still ask caller to stop transfusion and to notify physician. We will start the workup without waiting for decision of patient's physician. The calling facility has to fill out a transfusion reaction form to document the event, one copy to us, one copy on patient's chart, if no post-transfusion sample sent, we repeat the pre-transfusion sample, perform clerical and visual check, give all findings to our own medical director to do interpretation and recommendation.

Thank everyone for your honest opinions.

For more than 20 years, I have not worked with a microscope in blood bank, is there any reason we should or should not use microscope in blood banking?