Winter

As EAB81 said, the AABB states, "Issue blood that is ABO and Rh compatible if there has been time to test a current specimen." If your policy is to test a second specimen drawn at a different time to confirm ABO/Rh if no history is avaliable, does the emergent release need make it possible to include a policy to have an exception under this circumstance? We currently only issue O packed cells and AB plasma until the second type can be performed.

What is your current policy concerning these equivocal or non-specific reactions for subsequent crossmatches when no specificity is apparent? If a sample is found to react with 2 of say 26 test cells and the reference lab workup finds no reactivity either in Gel or in tube with PEG, should these patients require Coomb's crossmatches in the future?

I have the products orderable separately in the product dictionary, i.e. PC; PC,IRR; PC,IRRA1;PC,IRRA2, etc. I have the associated patient tests for crossmatch, type and screen set up the same for each product as far as I can tell but PC is the only product for which the associated tests are actually automatically ordered. Any ideas on what I could be missing? PC,IRR is a substitute product for PC but the opposite is not true.

Same as AMcCord except inpatients are good for FFP and platelets with initial typing as long as BB armband is on and legible. New specimens for crossmatches and types and screens are collected every 72 hrs.

We experienced all of the above problems with our CW2+: too wet inside, paint chipping, etc, but it recently "blew up!" I was washing tubes when I heard a loud explosion. I hit stop faster than I thought humanly possible and found the interior was just small pieces of glass tubes and plastic tube holders. We just got a Helmer, still in the box. Will let you know how it compares.

We pull a segment at issue and keep in a rack for a week. We have three segment racks so once a week, the segments in the third rack are discarded and the rack is pulled forward. We have three labels with clips; 0-7 days, 8-14, and 15-21 so the racks are relabeled weekly allowing a 21 day storage.

I'm so glad to hear that you will not be retiring from this site. I always appreciate a response from you, even (especially) if I have posted something that was incorrect because I consider you to be one of the great minds in the Blood Bank World! Thank you for being willing to share your vast knowledge with the rest of us!

We give all patients with Anti-E, blood that is c antigen negative. Until a few months ago, we had several patients who were chronically transfused that required both E, c negative units so we stocked two at all times. The 18th Edition of the AABB Technical Manual, p. 331 states: "When seemingly compatible E negative blood is transfused, (to a patient with anti-E who most certainly has been exposed to the c antigen as well), it is most likely to be c positive and may elicit an immediate or delayed transfusion reaction. Therefore, some experts advocate for avoiding the transfusion of c-positive blood in this situation."

Last year, we modified our Cord Blood testing procedure to state that only ABO/Rh and Weak D if Rh negative would be performed on cord bloods from infants of O or Rh Negative mothers. DAT would only be performed if mother has clinically significant antibody or when requested by physician. We now have a pediatrician who wants DAT on all Rh positive infants of Rh negative mothers. What tests are your hosptials doing?

I know this is a Cerner thread, but is anyone willing to share their settings for Meditech unit tags? We currently have v5.67.

In Meditech C/S, I created a test called Extended Crossmatch that includes both immediate spin and gel (or tube Coombs). I replace the crossmatch in the BBK History using the Replace Crossmatch Test with the Extended Crossmatch for all patients with known antibodies. I check for newly identified antibodies regularly.

We used Sure-Tech and liked the ease of reading, but we do so few that last fall, we upgraded our procedure to send ours out to a larger hospital about 30 minutes away. Like AMcCord, we will give one vial Rhogam until we get the results back, and give additional vials if needed. (We haven't had to send one out yet!!!)

Last weekend, when I was working, one of the patients was in crisis and ended up in ER with critically low H & H. The physician requested immediate transfusion. There was no time to send the specimen to the Ref lab for workup & we released Phenotypically crossmatched ( AHG XM ) blood for transfusion. Our Lead made up a Binder for the DARA patients so that all shifts are aware of these patients. Jane12, what were the reactions in the AHG XM? Did you have DTT treated plasma?

We use an Algacide by Polyscience.

Maybe my post was a little too brief. I was only thinking of testing the 1:4 dilution after performing a screen and testing the selected Ortho cells designated with the @ symbol on a post delivery sample of a mom who has received ante natal Rh Immune globulin since the AABB says that "passively acquired anti-D rarely achieves a titer above 4.