Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine
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Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. · Apr 2007
Ensuring timely completion of type and screen testing and the verification of ABO/Rh status for elective surgical patients.
A blood bank can provide compatible blood for an elective surgical procedure, provided a blood sample is received by the laboratory with sufficient time to allow pretransfusion testing and acquire enough compatible red blood cell units. With the push for same-day admission surgical procedures, a patient's pretransfusion blood sample is often collected the morning of surgery. However, if blood is needed, compatible units might not be immediately available. ⋯ Timely receipt of a presurgical specimen for type and screen testing and verification of a patient's ABO/Rh status can be ensured when clinical services collaborate and when the hospital blood utilization committee provides oversight to improve compliance.