Jump to content

DATs on Cords in Gel


Recommended Posts

Hi All, 

Quick question for the gel users.  We use gel as one of our back ups to our ECHO, I personally have never performed DATs in gel.  At my current facility they perform only cord blood DATs in gel. I've noticed that when the techs prepare the 0.8% cell suspension they are WAY off when compared to commercially made Ortho cells (the cell button after spinning is like 1/2 the size it should be).  In our procedure manual someone hand wrote in to wash the cells four times, when I grabbed the technical manual it states that the advantage to column technology is that you do not need to wash for anti-globulin tests.

 

I've been so ingrained to wash for DATs, I find it hard to believe you wouldn't for gel.

 

So to wash or not to wash? That's my question.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone! Im actually relieved bc I can just tell them not to wash and it'll be an easy fix.

We do use that calculation to make the 0.8% from packed cells, the problem is that people are washing the cord blood four times in the cell washer and it doesn't leave enough red cells to get 10 microliters of true packed cells.

 

Anorris, page 377 last paragraph.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First of all, there is NOT a need to wash the red cells, whether they be cord cells or red cells from any other source; that is rather the point of the gel technique (read Lapierre's original paper for an explanation, as to why - because it is really too long and complicated to explain here in one post - except to say that the plasma (and, therefore, the free antibodies, do not pass through the gel, whereas the red cells do, unless they are sensitised, and are agglutinated by the AHG in the gel).

 

Secondly, the red cell suspension should ALWAYS be made by automated pipette (or something similar that is accurate), because the human eye is NOT accurate, and will mess up the whole technique.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Malcom, that was a good explanation.  Its funny that you said the human eye is not always accurate because one of the blood bankers told me they eyeball it, and I said the same exact thing that you said. How do you eyeball a 0.8% suspension?!  :disbelief:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Advertisement

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.