I was under the impression that when issuing blood products we need a current, valid sample and cannot issue off a historic group? My new line manager has told me that it is OK to issue off a historic group but I am 99.999% sure that this is wrong. Am I going crazy?

We would not transfuse anything to a patient unless they have an armband that matches the specimen used to type and screen them in the first place. 

 

If a patient has been in house with the armband on continuously for 2 or 5 or 10 days, we would transfuse platelets and/or plasma without getting a new typing.  If the original armband has been removed, we would get a new typing (or in an emergency we would issue universal donor for FFP), even if we have a typing on record.

 

Scott

Take a look at section 7 of the BCSH guidelies for using FFP (can't recall the full title). See how you'd interpret it.

I'd interpret it as a current valid sample - ie <7d as crossmatch rules don't apply. Work, sadly use a historic group which may be 9 years ago and from a different patient if that one sample was WBIT...

Not in the UK, but our policy is the same as Scott's.  Must have a blood type on the current admission.  We use a secondary blood bank armband, so the BB sample for blood type must be drawn and labeled with the BB band that the patient is currently wearing.

We have to have a group & type on a current valid patient sample for red cell transfusions.  However, we will issue plateletphereses and plasma based on their historical information (ie:  if name, medical records number and birthdate all match our previous records.)

 

Donna

We have to have a group & type on a current valid patient sample for red cell transfusions.  However, we will issue plateletphereses and plasma based on their historical information (ie:  if name, medical records number and birthdate all match our previous records.)

 

Donna

same as Donna

JCAHO surveyor was doing a tracer several years ago and one of the patients she was tracing had received FFP.  She wanted to see that we had typed this patient before she received the FFP which we had.  Its our policy and has been the 20 years I've been here.  She mentioned that it is a good practice even with patients we are very familiar with so I never bothered to look up what AABB says but from what she said I wonder now if it is indeed required..?  It may not be that much revenue but it is a procedure and we justify our FT employees by the number of procedures we perform so there is that.. lol 

We have to have a current TS (within 3 days) for all blood products.

Blood typing is performed once an admission to receive FFP at our facility. TS in only required if transfusion with RBC is necessary.

Blood typing is performed once an admission to receive FFP at our facility. TS in only required if transfusion with RBC is necessary.

 

This is our policy.