Kleihauer Betke Help

[Kim D 16]

Our Blood Bank is having trouble locating a lab to perform KBK when our Fetal Screen is positive because so infrequently done now.

Does anyone else have this problem and any other options?

[John C. Staley 1,147]

Is there someplace local that can do flow cytometry for you.  I never understood why everyone thought KBs are so difficult.  We were forced to stop doing KBs and send out for flow cytometry by the corporate transfusion service medical director.  I have my suspicions why but I won't voice them here.  We never had any issues with doing the KBs and we really didn't do all that many.

[Malcolm Needs ★ 4,849]

We used to perform KBs in blood transfusion, but we finally got rid of them to haematology.  The reason for this was because it was so unusual for us to come across a true positive (apart from the positive control, of course) that we felt that we were no longer able to guarantee competency, whereas, in those days, haematology were used to performing manual reticulocytes, and so could almost guarantee competency.

Nowadays, of course, retic counts are performed by automation, so their competency can no longer be guaranteed either (but we never accepted the KB's back!!!!!).

Since 2009 (I think it was 2009?), UK Guidelines mandate that, if the estimated FMH is 2mL or greater by KB, the estimation MUST be performed by flow cytometry.