TRM.42750 Storage Unit Alarms for the transfusion medicine checklist dated 8/22/18 was revised to state that, "The Laboratory must demonstrate that all components of the alarm system (including manual chart recordings) work as expected...."

We have been doing the electronic checks at least quarterly but these do not show up on the graphs.

Just curious what others think of this! I'm assuming we will need to go back to doing manual alarm checks with the ice water

We also used to do electronic checks quarterly, but now that there is specific guidance to standard 3.7, we have reverted back to the old water/ice alarm check.  This is from the AABB portal on the guidance for standard 3.7 in the 31st edition - "An electronic alarm test that merely increases or decreases the electronic digital readout to determine if the audio alarm sounds, would not meet the intent of the Standards."  The full checklist item and guidance are attached.

 

AABB Standards 3.7 and guidance (31st edition April 2018).docx

We use ice/water for quarterly temp checks.

We use ice/water for quarterly checks.

What if you don't rely on the units chart drive or temp display?  We are not CAP.  We have many fridges, freezers, platelet incubators...  all are on a centralized temperature monitoring system.  We don't even put paper in our chart drives, haven't for 20+ years now.

Helmer fridges actually heat and cool the probes, so I only do a thermal challenge once a year and push the buttons the other three quarters. I think I will have to add chart response to the test in order to be compliant with this requirement.

The iC3 boxes on Helmer refrigerators document the electronic probe checks. If this data is downloaded and documented as high and low alarm checks, wouldn't this satisfy the Standard? Thoughts?

On ‎12‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 10:15 AM, Cliff said:

What if you don't rely on the units chart drive or temp display?  We are not CAP.  We have many fridges, freezers, platelet incubators...  all are on a centralized temperature monitoring system.  We don't even put paper in our chart drives, haven't for 20+ years now.

Cliff

Those systems usually are able to provide printouts of temps; documenting aberrations/alarm checks can be done on-line.

Somebody has to review them I would think.

On 12/27/2018 at 1:51 PM, David Saikin said:

Cliff

Those systems usually are able to provide printouts of temps; documenting aberrations/alarm checks can be done on-line.

Somebody has to review them I would think.

Yes, we use Rees and print the prior days reports daily.  They are reviewed and saved.