Sarstedt tubes

[NewBBSup]

Does anyone use Sarstedt collection tubes in their transfusion service?  Our lab is evaluating them and possibly switching from BD.  What kind of validation did you do?  Run everything in duplicate with both BD and Sarstedt?  We are a small transfusion service and I wonder how many I need to do.  Appreciate any help!

[AMcCord]

I looked at them in the past and they did not validate well with solid phase - missed some weak antibodies. I think I had 25 or 30 samples, probably 6 or 8 specimens with antibodies. I discontinued validation because it was becoming obvious that there was a problem. Did not switch.

[Auntie-D]

We've been using them for years (over a decade) without issue - 5th largest hospital in the UK

[NewBBSup]

Auntie-D-

Do you use the 5 ml or 7.5 ml EDTA tubes?  Right now we use 6 ml BD tubes.  I don't know if I want to go to 5 ml or not.  I'm afraid of running out of sample.  Have you had problems?

[Auntie-D]

On 2/3/2016 at 8:38 PM, NewBBSup said:

Auntie-D-

Do you use the 5 ml or 7.5 ml EDTA tubes?  Right now we use 6 ml BD tubes.  I don't know if I want to go to 5 ml or not.  I'm afraid of running out of sample.  Have you had problems?

We use the 7.5ml. We will accept the 4ml on children and 1.2ml on neonates. All the tubes are fine on our analysers for automation. We are the local centre for haemoglobinopathies so most samples are 7.5ml due to some patients having complex needs.

The nurses prefer them too as they are easier to write on.

On good point is that you can put a barcode label on without obsuring any patient details or the cells - handy for manual testing.