Specimen Acceptance/Rejection

Question 1

What sample types are seen in transfusion

Answer 1

7.5ml EDTA bottle - no gel as both plasma and rbcs are tested
7.5ml transfusion bottle - contains gel - only plasma tested on

Question 2

How does one request a test from blood transfusion

Answer 2

Fill out a blood request form either manually or using a PDA

A telephone order + a request form can also be taken

Question 3

What is a PDA?

Answer 3

Personal digital assistant

A hand held device used for ordering blood transfusion products

It prints out stickers which can be added to the request form and the sample bottle

Question 4

What information is required on the request form?

Answer 4

Patient name
Patient MRN
Patient date of birth
Date and Time of sample taken
Gender
Signature of whoever took the sample
Signature of the doctor who ordered the test
Requirement for CMV-iradiation

Question 5

What is some additional information which may be found on the request form?

Answer 5

The patient’s history
- have they been transfused within the last 3 months
- Have they any previous transfusion reactions
- have they been pregnant in the last 3 months
- have they had any solid organ/stem cell transplant
- the reason for the transfusion

Question 6

What are some reasons for rejecting a sample

Answer 6

Wrong tube
Insufficient sample
Wrong details on tube/request form
Missing details on tube/request form
Haemolysed sample