Is it necessary for a transfusion service to place confirmation labels on red cell units after ABO/Rh confirmation testing has been performed? If you have a computer system in which you can show the testing was done, is that sufficient? Not having to put labels on units would be a time-saver for us.

We have a computer system that tracks ABO reconfirmation of donor units and we do not put labels indicating such, on the unit itself.

Dump the labels. This is the 21st century.

Haven't used them for 20+ years.

If you are retyping in the computer, the labels shouldn't be required as long as you have a way to distinguish between units which are available for crossmatching and those that still need retyping. We do this by placing all unconfirmed units on a designated shelf until the are retyped.

Stephanie Townsend, MT(ASCP)SBB

If you are retyping in the computer, the labels shouldn't be required as long as you have a way to distinguish between units which are available for crossmatching and those that still need retyping. We do this by placing all unconfirmed units on a designated shelf until the are retyped.

Stephanie Townsend, MT(ASCP)SBB

Our past and present lab computer systems (Sunquest and Meditech) won't let you allocate a unit if the retype has not been done. We do the retypes as soon as we enter them into inventory.

As with the others above, we haven't used retype stickers for years.

I concur with other posts.

We stopped applying the labels when we started using our computer system. If we need to process a shipment during downtime, we record the reactions and interps on paper and enter the information in the computer during the recovery process.

We haven't used them in decades . . . even now when we no longer have a BBIS they are not necessary. Even before BBISs we never used them.

Same as David, quit using them about 20 yrs ago. They do not add any value to the retype process and they usually ended up falling off and sticking on the refrig, us, the floor, etc.

This of the money you will save not buying labels and with the time saved you might have time to get to lunch/dinner on your shift

I guess we are being backwards. we are still using them. When the unit is loggedin, the computer prints 3 stickers. One goes on the unit which has the # and the product code(ex. R1MJ). The techs like seeing the product code as it makes it easy when choosing units where it has been a double donation. Then we use the other stickers to label 2 segments, one for saving and one for typing. After reading this conversation, we will discuss possibly changing our process and saving a little money.

As others have mentioned, our computer system will not allow us to crossmatch or issue a red cell donor unit if the ABO/Rh confirmation testing has not been completed, so we stopped using the "Rechecked" stickers a long time ago.

Just curious if this might not have been started as a response to not being able to physically quarantine new incoming units from 'ready to use' units (as in, separate fridge or shelf). Thats about the only thing I can think of that having a visual cue might be good for.

We still label our retyped units, but we just use a round green sticker that we don't have to write on. We don't have a separate shelf to separate, although any units that are laying flat on the shelf would be suspect, but the green circle is reassuring! Our computer won't let us XM non-retyped units either. We use a label from the unit to label the segments.

We do not label the re typed units. As long as your computer system is able to track the confirmation result and you keep them separately from un processed units (to prevent in issue of un processed units during downtime). Most computer system doesn't allow to dispense a unit which is not reconfirmed. I know one company (do not remember name) doesn't do this.

So you can stop applying stickers now!!!!!!

Ditto for me; get rid of the labels. Unnecessary when you have a validated LIS.

Same as everyone else: computer system means no labels needed. I hope it was not an inspector who told you you had to do this!

If someone mistakenly places an unconfirmed unit on the confirmed shelf and you are on downtime, there is a possibility of an unconfirmed unit getting transfused.  

I would like to do away with all this extra work too but that is a little scary.

If someone mistakenly places an unconfirmed unit on the confirmed shelf and you are on downtime, there is a possibility of an unconfirmed unit getting transfused.  

I would like to do away with all this extra work too but that is a little scary.

Not to be argumentative but we blood bankers tend to be overly paranoid.  What is the percentage of units you recieve from your supplier that are incorrectly labeled aborh?  How often does units get mistakenly placed on the confirmed shelf, picked up by a tech, crossmatched and released for transfusion, all before your LIS is back up?  I think if you really look at the odds of a negative outcome situation that would be averted by the use of a sticker, you'd see that your fears are really unwarranted.  Risk is never truly mitigated completely.

I agree with jayinsat's reasoning and I am very paranoid. 

We are obviously way out of touch. We do apply stickers that ABO/Rh has been confirmed. Plus we write the date and tech initials on the stickers.

I am still astounded that this is still necessary. All UK units are guaranteed so this is not needed. How can you have any faith in your reference centres if you can't trust them to get an ABO correct?

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2013 at 4:39 PM, BBNBHM said:

If someone mistakenly places an unconfirmed unit on the confirmed shelf and you are on downtime, there is a possibility of an unconfirmed unit getting transfused.  

I would like to do away with all this extra work too but that is a little scary.

Why don't you print a unit inventory before downtime and require that units be checked off the list before issue during downtime?

On 10/17/2013 at 6:39 PM, BBNBHM said:

If someone mistakenly places an unconfirmed unit on the confirmed shelf and you are on downtime, there is a possibility of an unconfirmed unit getting transfused.  

I would like to do away with all this extra work too but that is a little scary.

I know this post is almost 4 years old, but it was quoted a couple of hours ago and I find the highlighted part interesting.

Not sure how big of a facility you are, or how much you transfuse.  We're decent size, we transfuse about 24 - 28k RBCs a year.  I've been at my current location for 26 years.  That's approaching three quarters of a million red cells we've retyped in my time there.  I recall only one unit we received from a facility that was mislabeled.  That's pretty good evidence that retyping, while required, does not add a lot of value.  The odds that something would go wrong are beyond astronomical.  You'd have to have a mislabeled unit, you'd be on downtime, it would mistakenly get into the retyped area, then it would have to go to a patient where it could cause harm, then the odds that it actually would cause harm are still small.