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Problem is this Pathologist is now our new Lab Director!

We have a Pathologist who is off site, and she has asked that techs take photos of abnormal hematology cells with their cell phone and text them to her if they have any questions. We are very uncomfortable with this for the following reasons: 1. We have a no cell phone policy in the lab due to tech distraction and universal precautions (everything in the lab is considered dirty and handled with gloves 2. The hospital does not pay for our person cell phones. Has anyone ever heard of this request? Apparently she also does not like to have to review a slide and locate the cell in question, she wants it shown to her. I say she is getting paid for a Pathology Review of a slide and she can find her own cells.

Hi Blood Bankers, We are trying to prepare for Psoralen treated platelets - I thought that I had built them in my LIS but now I have received new codes from the Blood Supplier - I initially built ISBT codes E7001, E7002....etc...to E7008 (4 plain and 4 irradiated). I now received new codes from the Blood Supplier and they are codes E8440 through E8344 and more. My question - does anyone know if the E7001 was ever actually used? I have yet to receive any of these products but I am trying to get ready for the FDA guidelines and mandate that will be coming eventually. Thank you. Maryann

Thank you Malcom and David, In doing some digging I did find another thread about Anti-M a few years ago that both of you gave input on, and it was a similar situation but perhaps more tube testing rather than gel. Sorry about calling cells homozygous, Malcolm - what is the correct name for an M+, N- cell and an M+, N+ cell? Just MM and MN - no homos or heteros? Maryann

Hi Blood Bankers, Question - if you find a patient who is demonstrating an Anti-M in the MM cells only, the MN cells are negative when testing in Gel, in otherwords the Anti-M is only showing up in homozygous M cells in Gel, and in tube testing with LISS, all cells both homozygous and heterozygous for M are completely negative in all phases, would you go ahead and call the patient Positive for Anti-M antibody? I have always called these patients as having Anti-M even if it is showing with homozygous cells only but other people are telling me that they can rule out of 3 negative heterozygous cells. Thank you.

Jumping in to this old thread. I just looked at the Thermoco Temp a Check online and it recommends annual calibration - to send the item back there with a check or money order and they will recalibrate. Is anyone having these recalibrated externally every year? My old procedure for an older version of this item was to use the ice/water bag and NIST traceable glass thermometer and verify the temp. That was all fine and good except that the upper temp seems off. Thank you.

Problem answered - Typenex gave me the info. The phlebotomists here live with their caps lock on due to the Meditech specimen numbers such as 0221:C15. When the Typenex number is scanned it the letters are lower case when the caps lock is on and upper case when the caps lock is off. Mystery solved. One more thing for the phlebs to have to do - take the caps lock off - scan in the Typenex number - put the caps lock back on.

Hi, We use bar coded Typenex bracelets and have Meditech v 6.1. Our old Blood Bank bar code readers (Intermec) work fine. The new bar code readers that our phlebotomists are using, Code CR2600 Model CR2612_02 and a Symboltech reader both change the uppercase letters on the Typenex number to lower case. The nurses complain that the lower case L looks like the number 1 (rightly so). We have been told that if they reconfigure the barcode reader it will not be able to be used on regular Meditech labels. Has anyone else had this problem and been able to reconfigure the bar code reader? Thank you.

Hello again, That was my mistake in reading the literature...I was reading the specs for the DG Therm (incubator) and not the DG Spin centrifuge. Darn! It would have been nice.

Following this thread. Is anyone using the DG Manual Gel system by Grifols? I had the presentation, it looks like a good product, I like the idea of a combination tube spinner/gel card spinner.

Question everyone - has anyone been cited on this TRM.40820 if you do not put out a disclaimer with a first time/one time only ABO/Rh result on a Prenatal patient?

Now this question has been revised by CAP: TRM.40780 "There is a written procedure to identify all potential candidates for Rh Immune Globulin". I don't have much problem with the Postpartum ones - I have a good Cord Blood procedure and process in place to make sure that the Rh Neg moms of Rh Pos babies receive their doses. The place where it might slip through is the ED/OR if a miscarriage or ectopic came through and Blood Bank was not aware that it was a pregnancy. In the explanation it says "....the institution must ensure that all Rh-negative women receive the maximum protection against Rh immunization..." So it appears that this piece should fall on the providers - to determine Rh type when a patient comes in with a miscarriage or ectopic or other fetal bleed situation. I can't find any such policy in the hospital SOP's but perhaps I am not digging deep enough.

Hello Meditech users, Does anyone extend the preop Type and Screen samples for longer than 72 hours (example 7 days, 14 days, 336 hours)? We used to do this with Softbank, no problem. Now that we have converted to Meditech, the background settings that require the ABORH and Antibody Screen to have been done in the past 72 hours for Electronic Crossmatch, are over riding the setting where we extend the expiration date of the sample. In other words, the sample is good for 2 weeks, but the Type and Screen is only good for 72 hours. This is a bit pointless because upon ordering up red cell product to be crossmatched, a new Type and Screen is reflexed on. Any suggestions?

Update: We wrote a letter outlining our concerns. HR listened to us and it is now official - we do not have to register with the State of NH as Medical Technicians!

Back story is there was a travelling OR tech at another hospital - he turned out to be a drug diverter and managed to infect a number of patients with Hep C. I volunteered to help the State of NH test exposed people for Hep C and spent a day in a local school cafeteria doing that testing along with my medical student daughter. Well, the legislature decided to somehow attempt to regulate these "Lab Technicians" and thus this kangaroo board of 3 people in the state who meet monthly and determine if people are worth of "Lab Tech" designation or not. 2 physicians (1 a gastroenterologist from the affected hospital) and a nurse. And they are going to determine if I, a medical technologist registered by ASCP is deemed worthy of being a "lab technician"? I think not! We are going to fight this.