RE: New Blood Transfusion GuidelinesAs you are probably aware there has been a great deal of activity in the Australian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service with respect to ensuring that blood in the form of packed red cells is only used when necessary and that unnecessary cross matching which results in a relatively high wastage rate is reduced to a minimum.In order to respond to this, Launceston Pathology will streamline requests for group and hold and / or cross match so that these can be made well in advance of the date of surgery and prior to the patient’s admission to hospital. We would like to remind you that it is going to become progressively more difficult to justify cross matching blood which do not comply with the guidelines and which are over and above the maximum blood order schedule. With regard to elective surgery or patients in private hospital , I would be grateful if you could make your group, hold and antibody screen and / or cross matching requests on booking the patient’s date of surgery prior to their admission. Group, hold and antibody screen will result in an ABO and Rhesus grouping with serological screening for antibodies and the serum will be held for a maximum of 30 days. This can be used for any subsequent cross match request. In practice, group and hold is being used increasingly as an alternative to cross match when the chance of blood use for any operation is relatively small. A cross match from a group and hold serum can be performed rapidly in 10 minutes and blood made available in 15 minutes for St Vincent’s Hospital and 20 minutes for St Luke’s Hospital.Patients who are pregnant or those who have had blood transfusion within three months will require a further sample of serum for cross matching within two days of the anticipated date of transfusion. Pre-admission requests for blood transfusion and / or group and hold will require:
- Patient is clearly identified on a dedicated cross match request form by the surname, Christian name and date of birth.
- Number of units, ward, hospital, date and time of proposed blood transfusion.
- A signed form by the requesting doctor.
- Submitted clotted blood for cross matching must have the patient’s full name, date of birth and be signed by the individual having taken the blood.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss any of these issues.A copy of the Australian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service Guidelines is enclosed.Best wishes and kind regards.
Yours sincerely
DR MICHEAL BEAMISH
Clinical Haematologist