I remember one episode of ER (must have been about 10 years ago) where a patient was receiving a blood transfusion and the "unit" of blood was nothing more than a transfer pack (there was NO label other than the manufacturer's label on the bag...there wasn't even a blood type) and the "fluid" in the bag looked like fruit punch. It was BRIGHT red and CLEAR!!

It must have been that new "artificial blood" hemoglobin substitute!

Does anyone remember the M*A*S*H episode where a racist soldier, Group B, could not have surgery unless he accepted the blood of the only other person in the company who was an African-American RN? Why they weren't using Group O, I would surmise, was because there was only whole blood available at the time.

The racist soldier relented and accepted the nurse's blood, but to show him how foolish his racism was, the surgeons painted him with iodine and served him an un-PC breakfast of fried chicken and watermelon, which I find distasteful. But this was when TV was not confronting racism at all and it was not so long before that units of blood were being labeled by race, so it was a good starting effort.

Did anyone see a recent "House" episode where Dr. House obtained a urine specimen by jabbing a screaming patient directly in the bladder? Maybe he was trying to cut costs by not using those expensive catheters. Reminds me of my old lab manager who was so frugal he would centrifuge pens to save every drop of ink.

Actually, that is called a suprapubic aspiration. It is usually done on infants or small children although I don't know how often it is done anymore.

House apparently has a lot of no-nos because I remember the one episode where the pateint needed an emergency transfusion, and they requested 4 units of ABPos STAT. I guess that patient would not have made it long in the real world.

Anyone want to bet that most of the medical "consultants" on these shows are RNs??

The only RN I know that has even a vague idea of the lab is my wife and only then because she was with me through school and spent 30+ years listening to me tell her about "those nurses"!

She's blessed that all you said was "those" : )

Another wonderful episode of ER had a patient needing blood from the rare donor file and the ED doctor called directly to the "file", ordered the blood and it came within a couple of hours. Then, as usual, the blood bank at County screwed up and broke the unit while thawing it! Then I believe they miraculously found the father with this rare blood type and drew a unit and immediately gave it to the patient.

I was "yelling' at the TV, but my husband was also griping because they were busily slamming brutal policemen that night too.....my husband is a policeman! Fun times!

Another wonderful episode of ER had a patient needing blood from the rare donor file and the ED doctor called directly to the "file", ordered the blood and it came within a couple of hours. Then, as usual, the blood bank at County screwed up and broke the unit while thawing it! Then I believe they miraculously found the father with this rare blood type and drew a unit and immediately gave it to the patient.

I was "yelling' at the TV, but my husband was also griping because they were busily slamming brutal policemen that night too.....my husband is a policeman! Fun times!

I remember that episode and thinking how stupid it was.