Blood transfusion of an organ donor

[Rapundaa]

Does anyone have experience providing blood to a gift of life organ donor? Do you receive a specimen and provide compatible blood based on serological testing or do you issue uncrossmatched O negative units? Have you ever experienced a transfusion reaction with this situation?

[Mabel Adams]

Usually when we start out transfusing them they are still patients.  Once they become an organ donor, they are usually assigned a different account in the computer for billing purposes.  We continue to transfuse them the same as always.  I've worked places they wanted to do things like change their names in the registration system but that wreaks havoc with BB ID processes.  I guess then you might have to go to universal donor blood.

[Rapundaa]

In this case the donor will not be "on site". There is a surgery facility where the harvesting takes place and they would like us to provide units to keep the donor oxygenated during the process. The donor is anonymous and we will have no prior txn history.

[cmontgomery]

Organ donors receive crossmatched LRBC and plasma as needed in our facility.   The billing/account number is only changed.  A current specimen is required.   Simiilar to Mabel's experience, I have been at facilities where the name was changed, confusion and delays ensue.

[Mabel Adams]

On 9/15/2016 at 8:31 PM, Rapundaa said:

In this case the donor will not be "on site". There is a surgery facility where the harvesting takes place and they would like us to provide units to keep the donor oxygenated during the process. The donor is anonymous and we will have no prior txn history.

Crossmatched blood is safer by some amount if you can work out the logistics of getting a specimen and properly identifying the patient and specimen. If you can't be assured of safe patient ID including for the transfusion, then universal donor is better.  Often these patients were transfused before they became organ donors.  Can you get information on where they were as a patient to make sure that blood bank didn't detect any antibodies?  It would be a very rare problem, but a hemolytic reaction could damage the organs they want to transplant.  Maybe do a Type and Screen as though they were an outpatient but only provide group O units because you aren't in control of patient ID processes?

[galvania]

Surely you could just give the organ donor a number?  And you would surely want to make sure of his group in case you get some funny results after the recipient is transplanted.....

[AMcCord]

My only experience is with a patient who became a donor. No name changes, so provided blood following our normal testing and transfusion protocols.