I'm interested in just how everyone is accepting specimens from neonates (i.e. NICU) specimens for type and cross. Are you requiring hand written on the specimen? Do you accept bullets with a label (any style), do you require any thing under the affixed label? Historically we require the patient specimen to be hand written on the tube (or bullet). However it is easier for the nurses in NICU to affix a computer generated label (not necessarily an electronic bar-coded scanner label) and the handwritten infomation does "rub off" as proven today. Unfortunately, mother's blood was not available, so T&S and DAT needed to be done on the child.

How are other transfusion services handling this scenario?

thanks so much,

Liz

Get some cheap address labels and affix to the tubes so the ends are attached to each other rather than round the bottle. Dead easy write on then

We can't change the rules and accept computer generated labels just because it's easier...

Edited January 21, 201213 yr by Auntie-D

We discourage handwritten labels. Computer labels are OK! We also require a BBID number.

JB

We discourage handwritten labels. Computer labels are OK! We also require a BBID number.

JB

You discourage them? Isn't it a requirement in the us and Europe that all blood bank samples *must* be handwritten. And that the labelling is done at the bedside with the patient telling the details (or from the wristband in a confused or unconscious patient). Using computer labels means that none of the bedside checks are done in the correct manner...

Using computer generated labels increases the risk of prelabelling, which increases the risk of the details being from the wrong patient.

No, it is not a requirement.

We use a computer generated label, placed on the specimen at the bedside, with date, time and initials handwritten on it. We also require a BBID label from the BBID band.

We use a computer generated label, placed on the specimen at the bedside, with date, time and initials handwritten on it.

I think that is what makes the computer generated label acceptable in the UK. The label must be printed at the bedside using a hand held label printer connected to a bar code reader. The patients wrist band has PID information in the form of a bar code which is scanned into the hand held printer. The labels printed and attached to the samples

Steve

:):)

No rule is perfect in my experience. If the phlebotomist doesn't understand and agree with the need to follow a good labeling process they can undermine anything, no matter how great. The key is a good process to start with then training with sufficient information on the importance of following the procedure to assure compliance. Sometimes the "culture of safety" has to be changed also.

No rule is perfect in my experience...... Sometimes the "culture of safety" has to be changed also.

Well said Mabel!

We also prefer computer-generated labels in which the patient wristband is scanned at the bedside. (we are rolling out hospital-wide in the near future) We will not however reject a hand-written label as long as all of the required information is legible. (full patient name and second identifier - we use med rec number) Date/time collected and phleb ID are also required (either on the label iteself or on the accompanying requisition).

Stephanie Townsend, MT(ASCP)SBB

thanks everyone!

Stephanie,

I believe that with a hand writen lable a witness signature or initials is also required.

We don't care if the patient info is written or computer generated as long as all the required information is on the label. But, one thing we require, instead of the Blood Bank ID label number is the baby's ankle bracelet number. We felt the BB ID bracelet was way too big for a neonate and we preferred the number be on the baby.