Record retention on deceased patients with antibodies

[mollyredone]

Is there a time limit on how long you have to keep paperwork on patients who have antibody workups after they are deceased?

Thanks, Molly

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

IN the UK, it is 35 years from the last transfusion (I think).

[mollyredone]

Thanks Malcolm! Guess I won't be doing any housekeeping on that for a while!

[Bill]

In the US specifically New York State, the workup sheets are considered as worksheets and can be destroyed (depending on your state) in as little as 1 year. Blood Bankers tend to keep them for the reaction patterns, but every inspector I ever had stated that these are worksheets and can be destroyed in the timeframe of a worksheet. David Salkin, you inspect blood banks, can you comment?

[mollyredone]

Thanks, Bill! That does make sense. Is there anything written in CAP regs or AABB?

[jalomahe]

At our institution, once a patient is deceased, we keep the record based on the state's statute of limitation for filing of a medical malpractice lawsuit. So check with your legal department and see what they say.