Hi ,

I am interested to know how other blood banks deal with duplicate requests being received into the lab. For instance if there is a valid group & screen or cross- match sample in the lab and a further sample is received , how would the second sample be dealt with?

Many thanks

Was this an unsolicited blood sample or was it requested in the HIS/LIS?  If it is a computer request, I would cancel it in the computer or request nursing to cancel it in the HIS. If there is no compelling reason to store it (if I did store it, I would document it in the LIS), I would discard it  into biohazard trash. 

Thanks for that,

We are being asked now to process every sample received into the department, even if we have multiple requests for the same patient on the same day....I am struggling to see the logic in this...!

If we already have a valid Type and Screen result in the previous 3 days, we cancel the new Type and Screen and keep the tube but don't use it.

I would think it may be a compliance issue doing multiple testing. CBCs you may need multiple per day, Type and Screen you do not.

The HIS has rule set up to automatically cancel a type and screen sample if ordered within X number of hours since the last sample was drawn. This has helped eliminate many duplicate draws at our facility.