Can Blood Bank Share a Refrigerated Centrifuge with Micro?

[Mabel Adams]

Our lab manager wants to have blood bank share a refrigerated centrifuge with Micro that we use for occasionally spinning down units to remove the adsol before adding plasma for neonatal exchange transfusions.  Micro would have their own buckets (with lids) and they would use it to spin down AFB specimens.  We have to replace our old one because it won't hold temp anymore.  This bothers all of us blood bankers but I can't find a regulation to give her to say we need our own centrifuge.  Any advice or leads on a regulation I can quote?

[John C. Staley]

Personally I don't see a problem here but I sure can't site any regulations, rules or even precedence that would help.   Of course it bothers all the blood bankers, I would be very surprised if it didn't.  It involves a change and that always makes us uncomfortable.  I suggest sitting down and trying to come up with what, exactly, makes everyone uncomfortable if you haven't already. Then weigh those concerns on the real vs imagined scale and see what you come up with.  

Just thoughts from an old guy that's been there.

[David Saikin]

I agree with John.  I cannot think of a reason why not (except it goes against the grain for blood bankers).

[Ensis01]

Ensure the centrifuge and temperature calibrations meet the BB requirements. Also is the the maintenance schedule and who performs it acceptable?

If the above fit your criteria I see no problem (I also can not site any regulations).    

[jalomahe]

I would do a couple of things

1) Check with you infection control department and get their input

2) Check with whatever agencies do your inspections: AABB, CAP, FDA etc to see if this is something that they would cite you for on next inspection. 

If all of those folks are okay with it then I think you can move forward with it. 

 

[David Saikin]

as a former AABB assessor and CAP team leader I would say there is nothing to cite with a mixed match reagent refrigerator in principle.

[mrmic]

I have worked in both departments. Technically there is no problem as safeguards are in place as stated earlier.  However, I do see an issue that, as a previous Transfusion Service (TS) supervisor, I would insist a new dedicated BB centrifuge be obtained.

There are more times in TS when critical patients, especially neonatal, that require emergent blood products.  For the survival of the patient and transfusion safety of the blood products, the appropriate products and aliquots have to be prepared in the Transfusion Service as quickly as possible. The centrifuge and required material and products must be in the Transfusion Service laboratory and available for use 100% of the time.  There is no calculation or predictability of which neonate being at risk or when the need will arise. But it does happen.  The cost of a centrifuge is not even close to even one neonate life or how it affects the family.  Whether it is 1 a year or 1 in a hundred years.

There is no regulation to state this.  Do we really need one, I'm not even going to ask!

Be on record that you requested a new centrifuge ASAP!