Ramir Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Just want to ask for any feedbacks or comments from those who are using/used Bloodloc (Novatek Medical, Greenwich, CT). Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L106 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 We have seen demonstrations, but we do not use them in our facility. A couple years ago we found out that a large hospital in a neighboring city had been using them for a couple years and thought they were great. Then one day their Lab Manager happened to find out that the first thing Surgery personnel did when donor units were delivered to Surgery was to cut open all the plastic BloodLoc bags and place the donor units in their blood refrigerator "so they wouldn't have to waste any time when they really needed the blood."(I bet it felt good when the Lab Manager stopped banging his head against the wall!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John C. Staley Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) The most dangerous person in the hospital is a nurse with a pair of scissors and the desire to use them. This goes for patient armbands as well as Bloodloc bags. A system is only as good as the people using it. I spent my career avoiding gimics(sp?) like bloodloc for the very reason sited above. OR and ER will always, and I do mean ALWAYS find a way around any system, especially if you make it complex or inconvenient. Keep your systems simple!!!! You will have a much better chance at compliance. I know I've said this before but it warrants repeating; complicating a process never makes it safer!!There I'm off my soap box and I will try to stay off for awhile.:haha: Edited October 23, 2009 by John C. Staley poor spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardsonj Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 We have been using the Blood loc system for as long as I have worked here (13 years) and even before I came. It has worked great for us. I saw the comments about nurses cutting open the bags...we have a system in place that prevents this. When we XM a unit of blood we attach a 2-ply form to the unit which identifies the unit and where the nurses write the monitoring duing infusion. They chart the one copy and the other copy comes back to the blood bank so we can transfuse the unit in the Lab BB system. We have them send the BB copy inside the blood loc bag with the blood loc device inside. That way we know the bag wasn't cut open. I have only had one instance where (and this is the insane part) the nurse actually sent down a torn open bag. Yes, they actually sent it to the lab! Anyways, I immediately called up and inquired and was told that he did it without thinking, but then opened the bag using the code from the patient's wristband. The loc was in fact not attached to the bag and the only way it could have been off was if it was dailed off with the code. He was reprimanded and we went on with our business. The right patient received the right blood.One the other hand, it has saved us also. A couple of months ago, we issued a unit of blood to a floor on the patient that they presented a card for. They took it up and then called to say the loc wouldn't open. We told them to bring it back to the lab. The BB tech checked and it was in fact dialed to the correct letters and opened for her down here. They sent the unit back up. Same thing...did not open. Come to find out, they were at the WRONG PATIENT!!! The blood loc not opening saved the patient from potentially getting someone els's blood!We have had several inspectors amazed by the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L106 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 John - I appreciate your comments and agree with you 100%. (I bet you share my philosophy of life: "If everybody would just do things my way, everything would be fine!")richardsonj - I'm glad that the Blood Loc system has worked well for you. Obviously your end-user are well-trained and compliant, and you came up with a good "bag return" procedure that assures compliance. Compliments to you & your nursing staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy3171 Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 We currently use the Blood Loc system, It works great. We require that the nursing floors and surgery return the blood loc bags with the Blood loc back to the Blood Bank. When this does not happen there is an immediate call to the floor requesting it. Our blood is released to surgery in temp monitored coolers so there is no need to remove them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Needs ☆ Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 The most dangerous person in the hospital is a nurse with a pair of scissors and the desire to use them. This goes for patient armbands as well as Bloodloc bags. A system is only as good as the people using it. I spent my career avoiding gimics(sp?) like bloodloc for the very reason sited above. OR and ER will always, and I do mean ALWAYS find a way around any system, especially if you make it complex or inconvenient. Keep your systems simple!!!! You will have a much better chance at compliance. I know I've said this before but it warrants repeating; complicating a process never makes it safer!!There I'm off my soap box and I will try to stay off for awhile.:haha:John, I LOVE your posts; they bring a little sanity to an increasingly insane world.PLEASE don't stay off your soap box for too long!:D:D:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayinsat Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 A system is only as good as the people using it. I spent my career avoiding gimics(sp?) like bloodloc for the very reason sited above. OR and ER will always, and I do mean ALWAYS find a way around any system, especially if you make it complex or inconvenient. Keep your systems simple!!!! I totally agree! We implemented blood-loc at one facility where I worked. ER and OR were quick to find ways around it. They regularly cut the bags open. The ironic part is that the system was recommended and put in place to prevent mishaps that happen in....where? You guessed it.....ER and OR. I had a collegue that used to always say "there's never enough time to do it right but always enough time to do it again!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L106 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 jayinsat -Everything you said was square on target! How sad, but how true!!! You and John Staley have told it like it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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