So, we were inspected a couple of weeks ago, and I have some questions regarding a policy that I need to write and/or change.

Standard 5.15.4 Selection of Compatible Blood and Blood Components for Transfusion

The transfusion service shall have a policy in place concerning transfusion of significant volumes of plasma containing incompatible ABO antibodies or unexpected red cell antibodies.

Question: What does everyone else's policy state for this? We did not have a policy that necessarily outlined all of this. I'm unsure where to start. Is this referring to emergency releases where we've discovered the patient had antibodies and the units were positive for the antigens? We wouldn't knowing do this, and we give ABO-compatible blood even during emergency releases.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

A policy that concerns massive transfusion situations (where a patient with an unknown ABO may have to be switched from AB to A plasma) would fit here I think.  For the other, our blood supplier does not send out plasma from donors with atypical antibodies---I think that is common practice.

Scott