Does anyone run an autocontrol with the antibody screen if the patient has a history of clinically significant antibodies?  

We do not normally run an autocontrol with our antibody screens (gel).  We run them when we do panel work.  

I recently ran an autocontrol anticipating a positive screen as the patient already had 3 antibodies, the screen reacted last month, and he had been transfused recently.  The screen was negative, the autocontrol was positive, and the eluate was negative.  I did go beyond our policy since the screen was negative, but I felt better about issuing the blood, and talked to the supervisor about it.  We'd both like to know what the policy is at other places.

 

  

We don't. We only run an autocontrol if there is new reactivity.

I know some labs who run an AC with their screen, AND with their panel, AND with their XM - which they do even if their screen was negative AND get very worked up if the results are discrepant - like between a negative result and a trace reaction that's there if you look through a magnifying glass.  Personally I would only do an AC with my panel if everything is coming up pos.

We have always done an auto control with the antibody screen if the patient has been transfused within the last 120 days.  However, closer review of the latest revision of the package insert revealed that all reference to an auto control with the antibody screen had been removed.  We should only be doing the auto control with the antibody ID.

We only run autos with problem workups.

We only run an auto control if we get a positive screen