These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Tubes for pretransfusion testing should be collected by blood bank staff and hand labelled until the implementation of new technology for improved sample labelling. Results of a prospective study.
    Author: Gonzalez-Porras JR, Graciani IF, Alvarez M, Pinto J, Conde MP, Nieto MJ, Corral M.
    Journal: Vox Sang; 2008 Jul; 95(1):52-6. PubMed ID: 18393947.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The greatest risk in transfusion medicine is actually human error, resulting in the use of the incorrect blood component. The aim of our study was to identify and evaluate the risk factors involved in the collection and labelling of pretransfusion blood samples. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 6446 samples submitted to the blood bank for pretransfusion testing. Inappropriate samples were classified as 'mislabelled' or 'miscollected'. After 4 months of study, an educational approach was taken. RESULTS: The frequency of inappropriately labelled samples was 6.45%. Such samples were associated with the use of addressograph labels (vs. hand-written labels) [23.4% vs. 1.4%, P < 0.0001], collection by clinical staff (vs. blood bank staff) [8.8% vs. 2.1%, P = 0.001] and emergency situations (vs. routine sampling) [10.1% vs. 6.1%, P = 0.005]. Following educational intervention, the percentage of inappropriately labelled samples decreased from 7.3% (pre-educational) to 5.8% (post-educational), P = 0.005. CONCLUSION: Ongoing monitoring and analysis of labelling and collection should be mandatory in order to improve the safety of transfusion.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]