Our lab is receiving cord in either EDTA tube or serum tube. Is washing required for ABO typing on a cord blood sample to minimize the affects of Wharton's jelly? I'm founding couple literatures on Wharton's jelly with DAT but none on ABORh.

Sorry to make a new posting about this topic, I didn't realize there was posting of "washing cord blood". But I am specifically looking for reference. If AABB manual,what page? I'm just not finding it.

Edited October 8, 201311 yr by youngwookim

http://www.cbbsweb.org/enf/2012/cordbloodwash.php

Since not all samples are contaminated with Wharton's jelly, I've heard of some places only washing if they get a cord blood that types as AB Pos to rule out contamination.

We don't wash because we perform ours on automation (Tango).

Well, the answer to that one depends on how good your staff are at obtaining 'clean' cord blood samples. I know that nowadays, most cord samples are 'clean'. In that case, for normal routine work, and depending on the technique you use, it should not be necessary to wash. But if your (obligatory, in my opinion!) reagent control is positive, or your results are at all 'odd', then I would definitely wash.

All our cord blood orders have an order for a DAT with them, so it is just as easy to wash tubes for the ABORH at the same time. Works well and prevents problems even though it probably isn't reeally necessary.  

Back when we had babies here we did the same as Doglover.

^{We don't wash unless the Rh control tube is agglutinated regardless of test method.}

In 13 years I have only seen one case of Wharton's jelly contamination. That case was washed and the results were only delayed by about 30 minutes - the only reason for us doing a cord blood is to issue Anti-D, so it is hardly a pressing issue. Why make work for yourself?