Info Written On Blood Bank Bands

[Mini Me]

I am trying to picture the whole scenario here.

So How do you tag the unit, that this pirticular unit is for particular patient.

I guess I am little scared, what happens when the patient has more than one component set up on them and the nurse asked for e.g FFP and Lab issued Platelet. Would that be a deviation from SOP.

I really like your idea of not having transfusion slip. Also we use EMR and i am sure we can easily find a way to just print transfusion record form from computer and use for Lab record.

Thanks

[Mabel Adams]

The unit had an attached compatibility label that was printed from the Meditech computer. It stated the patient ID, the unit info (including name of product), the fact that it was compatible--all the stuff AABB requires be attached permanently to the bag. We just didn't also have a printed form for the nurses to document on.

Maybe it made more sense to me because always before we had used the Hollister banding system unit label (stuck "permanently" on the blood bag) and a separate slip just rubber banded to the unit that could be removed for the nurse to complete it.

I understand that some places attach a multi-copy form to the unit so one copy of the same form stays attached throughout the transfusion while nursing pulls off one copy for documentation. I think some might even expect the nurse to document on the form while it is still attached to the unit (I always figured they would find a way to take it off.)

As for issuing the wrong product type--nursing had to send a request form via the tube stating what product they wanted. One of the required checks by the BB tech was whether the product being issued was what was marked on the request form. I guess I am having trouble imagining a system where getting the product mixed up would have anything to do with whether the transfusion record went out with the unit.

Our lab records of the unit and its issue were in the computer so we didn't need to retain anything paper. We did keep the request form for a few months just in case someone forgot to accept the issue screen in the computer and it took us awhile to discover it.

Isn't it amazing how many systems there are for issuing blood and documenting it?!

[Mini Me]

Now it makes much more sense.

Thanks for your reply. I hope our institution would come up something like this.

[bbville]

I am also from Indiana and the Board of Health is VERY insistant that the lab monitor transfusions. We get nothing back from the floor, but we look at post computer charting and I definitely know the Blood Administration Nursing procedure better that 95% of the nurses in the hospital. I send a daily report to each area nursing supervisor and it is up tp them at that point to follow up.