Years ago I was working 2nd shift at a hospital. I received a bloody spinal fluid from the ER. An internist had tapped a patient of his. The tubes were very bloody but not clotted. The policy was to do a differential but to report "unable to perform count due to traumatic tap". The physician called and asked me to "correct it for the WBC's and RBC's by using the patient's CBC results". I immediately laughed thinking he was joking. When I realized he was serious I told him that if he could tell me the exact volume of blood in the spinal fluid I might be able to work it out (not!).

Today I got a call from L&D for an add-on XM. When I called to tell them the blood was ready, the nurse replied"Blood? I don't want blood! I ordered a crossmatch!"

When helping out in Hematology, the floor was called to recollect a specimen because the one we had was clotted. We we told to "just pull out the clot and run the specimen. I do this all the time and it won't hurt anything". Needless to say, we sent one of our assistants to redraw the patient.

pat

When helping out in Hematology, the floor was called to recollect a specimen because the one we had was clotted. We we told to "just pull out the clot and run the specimen. I do this all the time and it won't hurt anything". Needless to say, we sent one of our assistants to redraw the patient.

pat

The really worrying thing is, I know that they would do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

We once got a sample on a newborn in Hem that looked like the baby was terribly anemic, with no plts. In looking into it we found that the phleb had found a clot in the microtube and taken it out so she wouldn't have to restick the baby. A redraw was just fine. I think the WBC was low too but it has been too many years and I can't quite remember.

My favorite was the phone call from the anesthesiologist who called down for plasma. I told him that it would take 20 minutes to thaw and he said they would pick it up frozen and put it in the microwave in the surgery break room. Needless to say, I handed the phone to my supervisor who told the doctor that she had an inspector with her and that the plasma would be ready in 20 minutes. He did not call back.

I've had the FFP in the microwave reply, too. Told them Over My Dead Body! The doc stomped off to rant at the BB Medical Director and I never heard another word about it. Never got that request again, either.

Ann you never received an apology either did you!! One of my biggest frustrations was that the arrogant SOBs would never admit they were wrong.

Speaking of plasma...As just told to me by a tech. Patient in cardiac OR with an order for 6 units of RBC. Tech called to let them know the blood was ready and asked if they needed any other products. Voice on other end of the phone calls out to the anestesiologist "Do you need any thing else, like the yellow sh**?" It turns out they did need some "yellow sh**" as they requested the expected 2 units of plasma and 1 dose of platetets. Apparently the techs for the rest of the night just kept referring to the products for OR as the red or yellow sh**.

A few years ago one of our elderly surgical techs (she was a feisty gal, but professional) related her experience with a new, young surgeon who was a big bully (but actually a good surgeon.) During the surgery, the surgeon grunted to the surgical tech "Gimme a XX!#$X retractor!" She ignored him. He growled "Didn't you hear what I said?!!!"

She looked him in the eye and calmly said "You asked for a XX!#$X retractor. I don't have a XX!#$X retractor on my tray. I have a such & such retractor and a such & such retractor on my tray, but I don't have a XX!#$X retractor." She continued to look at him with a blank face. After a few seconds, he calmly asked for a such & such retractor, which she smiled and handed to him.

After the surgery, he humbly apologized to the surgical tech. (A rarity, huh?)

One time I did the same thing and the caller didn't miss a beat. The caller was an aunt of mine who was a Head Nurse. When I answered the home phone with, "Laboratory, Ken speaking." she replied with, "Okay, I want to order a Stat CBC."

LOL - There's taking your work home with you... and then there's your work following you home!

This reminds me of years ago, when I was doing an internship, my husband asking me "What is a 'seg'?" I explained it was a type of white blood cell, and asked what prompted the question. He replied that I was talking in my sleep while scratching the bed, muttering "...seg...lymph...seg...seg..."

Nice to know that my career has made a "diff" in my home life!

We have just received a sample from one of our hospitals on a pregnant woman.

"Antibody detected by enzyme only. ?anti-N??"

Even if I'm exsanguinating, please don't send me there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was anti-Le(a+ by the way.

:eek::eek:

"Antibody detected by enzyme only. ?anti-N??"

Even if I'm exsanguinating, please don't send me there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:eek::eek:

How about "especially"......?

Margaret W.

She looked him in the eye and calmly said "You asked for a XX!#$X retractor. I don't have a XX!#$X retractor on my tray. I have a such & such retractor and a such & such retractor on my tray, but I don't have a XX!#$X retractor." She continued to look at him with a blank face. After a few seconds, he calmly asked for a such & such retractor, which she smiled and handed to him.

After the surgery, he humbly apologized to the surgical tech. (A rarity, huh?)

This reminds me of my very first job when I was a lowly generalist and spent a good deal of time in the Blood Bank. Our process was to deliver (?!) blood products to the unit and check what the RN had hanging (NO LACTATED RINGERS!!!!) as well as provide a third check for the patient ID. They called for a unit of blood around lunch time and had a difficult time finding a second RN for the ID check. She finally found one and called to me where I was waiting patiently at the desk: "Lab Person, COME!" I was speechless for a heartbeat and then responded "Woof Woof!" She was very embarrassed and apologized profusely for her terse command. Of course she then proceeded to puncture the bag of te only P1 negative red cell we had in inventory (we still worried about those back then). Sigh!

Margaret W.

We issue products at a window in our blood bank with a clearly visible doorbell in case no one happens to be in the room. Everyone in the hospital found a way to simply ring the bell if they needed us, except for one nurse. She would come to the window and whistle... dog whistle. Yes, she would come and whistle for one of us to come and take care of her. We would ask her to just ring the bell and the next time... whistle. The last time she did it was when I happened to be in the next room, heard it, saw two techs prepare to go fetch, and told them that when they started drinking their water out of a bowl, they could go when she whistled. Well what do you know, she walked into the next room and I calmly looked up, feigned surprise, and asked her if we could help her. That was the last time I heard her whistle.

P.S. Rumor has it that she got fired for flashing a patient. Not sure if it is true or not, but honestly I would not be surprised.

It scares me when I think about how often I've heard the "just give me O Negs" out of a doc's mouth when they don't want to wait for screened units. If someone ever does come up with a way to strip off all those antigens, they will be very wealthy.

On a lighter note, back in my chem days we were having a problem with a 24 hour urine collection. It came down 3 times, all significantly less than a 24 hour collection. When we talked to the doc, he said with a totally straight face "The patient can't hold it for 24 hours."

It scares me when I think about how often I've heard the "just give me O Negs" out of a doc's mouth when they don't want to wait for screened units. If someone ever does come up with a way to strip off all those antigens, they will be very wealthy.

I agree entirely.

I once had this when I was working in a Hospital Blood Bank and we couldn't identify the antibody. Turned out to be an anti-Vel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad we ignored the doctor, as it was only top-up; the patient wasn't even bleeding.

My personal fave? The all important clinical notes on the hospital's haem request form - "Patient sick"

very helpful as you can imagine!

Tim - I've heard one like that also - except it was, Where is my blood on *****? It went to the floor and went to the wrong patient (an O getting an A) - she did not survive. The scariest part was that they would not draw a specimen for a reaction workup. They said she could not have had a rx because she did not complain (SHE WAS COMATOSE). The Medical Director had to come in at 3 AM and demand a specimen. Surgical ICU/nurse with 17 yrs experience - gave the correctly labeled unit to the incorrect patient.

WOW. How scary is that? VERY!!

It scares me when I think about how often I've heard the "just give me O Negs" out of a doc's mouth when they don't want to wait for screened units. If someone ever does come up with a way to strip off all those antigens, they will be very wealthy.

I agree entirely.

I once had this when I was working in a Hospital Blood Bank and we couldn't identify the antibody. Turned out to be an anti-Vel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad we ignored the doctor, as it was only top-up; the patient wasn't even bleeding.

Too funny..I can not count the number of times I've been told "Well, just give him O negs then" when there was an antibody issue.

In the Doc's defense (sorry, I'm married to one) they get a whole 3 weeks of Blood Bank training....that's it! We all know you can't even "scratch the surface" of learning Blood Banking in 3 weeks!!

The good Doc's know what they don't know and ask what to do from those of us who do. It is the Doc's who think they know it all that scare me!!

My personal fave? The all important clinical notes on the hospital's haem request form - "Patient sick"

very helpful as you can imagine!

Yes. The other really useful one is "Pre-op". Does this mean treatment to an in-growing toenail, or does it mean a liver transplant? Very useful if you are using an MSBOS!

:):)

We've had a sample in to test for Weak D.

Nothing unusual in that, you may say. Except that the patient is 96-years-old!

I mean, for goodness sake, does it blank, blank matter at that age??????????????

:cries::cries:

:rolleyes:Oh-- I thought that docs only got three days training!

:rolleyes:Oh-- I thought that docs only got three days training!

Good one Mary! It often seems like that doesn't it? I get so tired of walking them through,while holding their hand of course, what they need to prescribe to appropriately treat their patients!

We've had a sample in to test for Weak D.

Nothing unusual in that, you may say. Except that the patient is 96-years-old!

I mean, for goodness sake, does it blank, blank matter at that age??????????????

:cries::cries:

Seriously? 96 yr old "needing" a weak D result??? WOW!! Must have been ordered by one of those DR's trained 3 days in Blood Bank!! (re. Mary's post).

We ONLY do weak D testing on Rh neg (presenting initially) infants of Rh negative mothers to determine whether or not the mother needs rhogam. That's it..no other time!

Different case if you are a donor facility...then units need to be tested for weak D.