What are peoplel using for coolers to transport blood to OR's ED's, etc. We have used the CELL-SAFE coolers by IGLOO but they don't appear to be made anymore. 10 of them fit between the freezer and the wall and they work well. Problem is , they are getting old and the tops don't stay in place anymore. Just slip and slide around. They came with validations, I am thinking about getting some PLAYMATE coolers and validating each one individually. They appear to be the same. Has anyone used them. Thanks in advance.

We found that the PLAYMATE coolers just did not keep the temperature within acceptable range. (That is, unless there is a special cooler model for donor blood units that I am not familiar with.)

We purchased several "Credo Series 4-OR" coolers from Minnesota Thermal Science ( www.credothermal.com ) The model that we bought is rather small and holds only 2 or 3 units of Packed Red Cells, but they can maintain temperature of 1-6 C for over 12 hours. Expensive little dudes (around $250 or so), but they do a good job.

Donna

We got the Igloo Legend 12 coolers. They hold two freezer packs and a basket to keep the units from touching the packs. They hold temp at less than 6 degrees for at least 6 hours. We usually only put two units in at a time. They're about $20 and I got them at Ace hardware.

Wow.....that sounds like a great alternative! If they pass your validation of keeping the temperature within the acceptable range for that long, you can't beat the price!

Donna

We still have a bunch of the Cell-Safe coolers. Our problem is that the inserts provided by the company keep vanishing. (Why people appropriate lab materials that could be encrusted with God knows what is a mystery to me. Would you take a pen from a dirty area home with you? Is there a drawer in the lab somewhere with the hundreds of pens and sharpies I seem to set out every week?) Anyhow, I found a vendor for plastic waffle boards that seemed to be the same material as was used for the originals, cut and taped them and made my own inserts which have validated perfectly fine. If anyone needs vendor info and a template for the insert I would be happy to share.

..We purchased several "Credo Series 4-OR" coolers from Minnesota Thermal Science ( www.credothermal.com ) The model that we bought is rather small and holds only 2 or 3 units of Packed Red Cells, but they can maintain temperature of 1-6 C for over 12 hours. Expensive little dudes (around $250 or so), but they do a good job.Donna

We bought the larger ones and holds 6 units and was validated for our use at 8 hours. They work great and are very popular.

Kym

.........dirty area home with you? Is there a drawer in the lab somewhere with the hundreds of pens and sharpies I seem to set out every week?) ........

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread but I must admit there was a time in my life when it got to the point that the techs needed to hand in the empty pen, dry marker, or worn out rubber squeegie bulb thing-a-ma-jig from the glass dropper pipet days to receive a replacement. Of course the cost of these items is likely less now than then, while we don't even want to talk about how those $ now compare to the cost of blood and reagents.

We bought the larger ones and holds 6 units and was validated for our use at 8 hours. They work great and are very popular.

Kym

We use the smaller "Golden Hour boxes" from Minnesota Thermal Science. Find the shell to not hold up well and since it is canvas, it does soil. Now brought in green boxes from thermosafe.com They validated wonderfully (when kept at room temp they stayed below 10 C for 6 1/2 days!!) and have a easily cleanable outside hard plastic shell

We still have a bunch of the Cell-Safe coolers. Our problem is that the inserts provided by the company keep vanishing. (Why people appropriate lab materials that could be encrusted with God knows what is a mystery to me. Would you take a pen from a dirty area home with you? Is there a drawer in the lab somewhere with the hundreds of pens and sharpies I seem to set out every week?) Anyhow, I found a vendor for plastic waffle boards that seemed to be the same material as was used for the originals, cut and taped them and made my own inserts which have validated perfectly fine. If anyone needs vendor info and a template for the insert I would be happy to share.

Years ago we discovered the local dialysis center would dry out the plastic bags we put ice in when we sent them blood. They would then fill the bags with popcorn to send home with the patients. We discouraged the practice rather strongly when we found out. It is amazing how creative people can be!!

:explosion

We use Coleman 10 quart coolers available at local stores like Sears and K Mart. These are validated for storage temperature at 1-6 C for upto 10 hours with wet ice in plastic bags. Can store upto 12 red cell and FFP units. Cost is minimal at about $10 to $12.

Years ago we discovered the local dialysis center would dry out the plastic bags we put ice in when we sent them blood. They would then fill the bags with popcorn to send home with the patients. We discouraged the practice rather strongly when we found out. It is amazing how creative people can be!!

:explosion

Oh, yuck!!!

We are using Igloo Marine Breeze coolers for OR and they are validated for 24 hours with wet ice..... We found the frozen gel packs got WAY to cold

The original ones were very small; but now there is a larger model.

Brenda Hutson

We found that the PLAYMATE coolers just did not keep the temperature within acceptable range. (That is, unless there is a special cooler model for donor blood units that I am not familiar with.)

We purchased several "Credo Series 4-OR" coolers from Minnesota Thermal Science ( www.credothermal.com ) The model that we bought is rather small and holds only 2 or 3 units of Packed Red Cells, but they can maintain temperature of 1-6 C for over 12 hours. Expensive little dudes (around $250 or so), but they do a good job.

Donna

ChrisH, I am re-validating our Cell-Safe coolers. According to one of my predecessors, coolers only needed to be validated when put into use. I've learned recently that they needed to validated 2x/year. Since I have worked at my current facility (8 years), we have used Igloo and Coleman frozen packs in our coolers for the OR. We use 3 packs surrounding a 'basket' that holds 2-4 units of red cells. The 1st 2 coolers I've tested have yielded temps close to Zero for the 1st 2 hours. Then the temp stabilizes at 3-4 degrees. It seems to really matter if the units are in an upright position in the basket or if they are lying down.

I am interested to hear from others, what cold medium you use in your coolers, wet ice or ice packs and how much, i.e. 8 lbs of ice or 2 or 3 ice packs. Also, do you require that units be stored upright in the coolers - especially those that are deemed 'temporary storage' as opposed to transport.

ChrisH, I am re-validating our Cell-Safe coolers. According to one of my predecessors, coolers only needed to be validated when put into use. I've learned recently that they needed to validated 2x/year. Since I have worked at my current facility (8 years), we have used Igloo and Coleman frozen packs in our coolers for the OR. We use 3 packs surrounding a 'basket' that holds 2-4 units of red cells. The 1st 2 coolers I've tested have yielded temps close to Zero for the 1st 2 hours. Then the temp stabilizes at 3-4 degrees. It seems to really matter if the units are in an upright position in the basket or if they are lying down.

I am interested to hear from others, what cold medium you use in your coolers, wet ice or ice packs and how much, i.e. 8 lbs of ice or 2 or 3 ice packs. Also, do you require that units be stored upright in the coolers - especially those that are deemed 'temporary storage' as opposed to transport.

We have the same system and use 3 ice packs. Our outreach clients seem to delight in stealing the "baskets" so I found a vendor for the waffley plastic stuff and make my own. We have found placing the units upright with the paperwork on the outside facing the ice packs on either end works best.

ChrisH, I am re-validating our Cell-Safe coolers. According to one of my predecessors, coolers only needed to be validated when put into use. I've learned recently that they needed to validated 2x/year. Since I have worked at my current facility (8 years), we have used Igloo and Coleman frozen packs in our coolers for the OR. We use 3 packs surrounding a 'basket' that holds 2-4 units of red cells. The 1st 2 coolers I've tested have yielded temps close to Zero for the 1st 2 hours. Then the temp stabilizes at 3-4 degrees. It seems to really matter if the units are in an upright position in the basket or if they are lying down.

I am interested to hear from others, what cold medium you use in your coolers, wet ice or ice packs and how much, i.e. 8 lbs of ice or 2 or 3 ice packs. Also, do you require that units be stored upright in the coolers - especially those that are deemed 'temporary storage' as opposed to transport.

Does CAP or AABB require 2X/year?

We found that the PLAYMATE coolers just did not keep the temperature within acceptable range. (That is, unless there is a special cooler model for donor blood units that I am not familiar with.)

We purchased several "Credo Series 4-OR" coolers from Minnesota Thermal Science ( www.credothermal.com ) The model that we bought is rather small and holds only 2 or 3 units of Packed Red Cells, but they can maintain temperature of 1-6 C for over 12 hours. Expensive little dudes (around $250 or so), but they do a good job.

Donna

I am interested in the Minnesota Thermal Science coolers. Has anyone validated them in colder than room temp evironments? If yes what temp was the environment? OR is often colder than room temp. I cannot get my Playmate coolers to keep products from going below 1C when in the OR.

Thanks

Teresa

What do you use as a "Product" when validating your coolers? I wouldn't want to experiment with a unit of packed cells.

We hang onto expired units of autologous packed red cells and use them when we are validating our blood coolers.

What do you use as a "Product" when validating your coolers? I wouldn't want to experiment with a unit of packed cells.

We also use expired units, or units the floor has requested and returned out of temp to validate the cooler.

Thank you!! Great idea!

Jackie

We use 2 packs at -30C and 1 pack at 4C with Playmate coolers. We make them come change out the packs at 6 hours even though they hold the temp considerably longer than that.Some of our older ones were OSC Cell-Safe coolers, which were really Playmates. (can't get them anymore)

Greeting, does anyone use Platelet transport cooler in their hospital? We waste many units of platelet since MTP (6/6/1) implemented since we have frig. in both trauma room and OR (RN likes to put everything in the frig.) Also, how we validate the cooler?

Greeting, does anyone use Platelet transport cooler in their hospital? We waste many units of platelet since MTP (6/6/1) implemented since we have frig. in both trauma room and OR (RN likes to put everything in the frig.) Also, how we validate the cooler?

 

I am having the exact same problem!  The OR wants us to send products on a 4:4:1:1 protocol which is fine, but I am wondering what everyone does with the platelets and cryo? 

Switched to Credo at my last place for same reason; was unable to get Cell Safe any longer.  You can purchase smaller ones and larger ones.  They hold temperature really well (for up to 12 hours if you get those bad surgical cases); especially at Storage Temps. of 1-6C (validated with 6C Safe-T-Vue Monitors).  They are more cumbersome however in that you have to first put the interior box in the freezer; then it has to be refrigerated for a certain period of time before you can use it; but it can only be refrigerated for a set amount of time before it has to be re-frozen.  So also a bit of a pain to validate (though we purchased Val-A-Sure Cooler Validation Kit which is a nice methodology).

 

It is just getting more complex with limited coolers......validation studies.....Storage vs. Transport Temps......various types of

Temperature Monitors.....etc.; isn't it?  

 

Brenda Hutson, CLS(ASCP)SBB