Telephone:.......................................................................................................................... 9895 3487

A Scientist is in attendance at the Core Laboratory at all times

After hours: (1730-0700)................................................................................................ 9895 3473

Stocks

Supplies of blood and blood components supplied by the Red Cross Blood Service are held in the Department for issue. Medical staff may be required to order replacements from the Red Cross Blood Service.

These products include –

• Albumex 4
• Albumex 20
• FFP – Frozen Fresh Plasma
• Immunoglobulins – Hep B, Anti-D, Tetanus, Zoster and Normal
• Red Cell concentrates (100IU / 400IU)
• Other immunoglobulins available from Pharmacy.

Request for Platelets:

These must be ordered through the laboratory. Requests (preferably by phone, followed by written request) should be completed by 1000 am when possible. No platelets are kept in reserve on site.

Note:

Intragam must be ordered directly from the Red Cross Blood Service and its transport organised through switchboard.

Blood Group/Antibody Screen/Crossmatching Requirements

• All specimens are to be non-contaminated and collected in a pink top 6mL EDTA vacuum tube.
• All samples must be correctly labelled (re-labelling is not permitted) and the blood collector’s signature must be written in the appropriate area of the request form. Unlabelled specimens are immediately discarded. Specimens cannot be processed if there is no collector’s signature.

Blood Transfusion Reaction

A transfusion reaction is any unfavourable event occurring in a patient during or following transfusion of blood or blood products that can be related to that transfusion.

All transfusion reactions must be reported and recorded on the Blood Transfusion Reaction Report form. Blood Bank staff should be notified immediately (9895 3487) so that the reaction can be evaluated to the extent considered appropriate by the Haematologist. Once the attending doctor has seen the patient and determined that a significant reaction has occurred, he/she should then stop the transfusion and contact the Blood Bank Scientist (9895 3487) but not remove the administration needle, which should be kept open with normal saline.

Crossmatching

Specimen required – 1 x 6ml pink top EDTA (minimum).

Comments/Enquiries –

• The blood group is required for ordering FFP, Cryoprecipitate and Platelets
• Phone requests for platelets should, whenever possible, be completed before 10.00am.
• The doctor should document any special blood requirements (such as irradiated, filtered or CMV-negative blood products) for a patient. If uncertain, clinician should contact Blood Bank.

1. Emergency Crossmatching – Immediate Demand
   Phone laboratory 9895-3487. Send 1 x 6 ml pink top EDTA blood, labelled with the completed request form (collectors signature, date and time).
2. Elective Transfusion
   Request (form and specimen) must be in Blood Bank Laboratory by 4.00pm two (2) days before the blood is required. Compatible blood will be supplied, crossmatched, from either the BHH reserve or from blood ordered in from the Red Cross Blood service.