How do you monitor the temperature of your units? Do you use temperature indicators or just a thermometer? If you don't use indicators on the units, do you worry about units taken out of the cooler, going out of temp and then returned to the cooler and returning to acceptable temperatures before returning to the blood bank?

We've used safe-T-vues and had terrible luck of them turning red on in temp units. We used the hemo temp II's, but they're only good for 24-36 hours so not the best for trauma's. We validated BT6's, but now we're having issues with them turning blue in the refrigerator. 

I'm just so frustrated at the moment.

The Sure-Cue indicators are touchy-but work !

We use them in our level 1 trauma center for  MTP packs.

We validated our blood cooler to store blood at 1-6C, train the staff to not remove blood unless it is to be transfused, and take a return temp of the units when they are returned.  No indicators are used since we had trouble validating them and we rarely transport/store blood outside of the Blood Bank.

I am validating the igloo coolers to maintain temperature between 1-6C.   I place refrigerators gel packs on the bottom, the red cells, a barrier and a bag of ice.  However, the red cells go out of temp (>6C) for a hour and back in.  The coolers are kept at ambient temp.  Is anyone conditioning  the coolers with ice first?

21 hours ago, Yvette said:

I am validating the igloo coolers to maintain temperature between 1-6C.   I place refrigerators gel packs on the bottom, the red cells, a barrier and a bag of ice.  However, the red cells go out of temp (>6C) for a hour and back in.  The coolers are kept at ambient temp.  Is anyone conditioning  the coolers with ice first?

Yvette -

We use a ice/barrier/product/barrier/ice to validate ours.  Coolers are kept at room temperature.  We validate with minimum number of product and then the maximum number of product that the cooler will be used for.  Is this a new process or are you revalidating a current one?   

22 hours ago, Yvette said:

I am validating the igloo coolers to maintain temperature between 1-6C.   I place refrigerators gel packs on the bottom, the red cells, a barrier and a bag of ice.  However, the red cells go out of temp (>6C) for a hour and back in.  The coolers are kept at ambient temp.  Is anyone conditioning  the coolers with ice first?

We left ice bars in the coolers to keep cold, we replaced at the time of preparation for transportation. we also use ice / barrier / blood / barrier / ice. Before doing that we had problem, now works well!

Thank you BloodBanker80 and mpmiola for your response!  This is a new process.  I will try the ice/barrier/blood/barrier/ice method.

Patty how do you take the temp on your units when they come back to the Blood Bank