Blood Product Availability —
How Long Does It Take?
15 Minutes
- ABO Group/Rh for Type Specific RBC (i.e. Group/Type)
45 Minutes
- Fresh Frozen Plasma
- Cryoprecipitate
- Apheresis products
60 Minutes
- Type and Direct Coombs (Newborn) (6 ml EDTA with minimum of 2 ml)
92 Minutes
- Type and Antibody Screen (6 ml EDTA)
122 Minutes
- Type, Antibody Screen, and Crossmatched blood (without antibodies)- (6 ml EDTA)
Two Hours or More
- Diagnostic Direct Coombs & Eluates (2×6 ml EDTA)
- Rh Immune Globulin Postpartum mother’s specimen (6 ml EDTA)
Four Hours or More
- Type, Antibody Screen, and Crossmatched blood (with antibodies) — (6 ml EDTA)
Additional Information
Antibody Identification
Antibody Identification: When antibody identification cannot be made in a timely fashion to meet immediate needs, the clinical pathology (CP) resident on call (688-2820) and the clinical staff will consult to assess the need to transfuse least incompatible blood vs. waiting for completion of antibody identification.
Routine Orders
Routine orders will be filled within 4 hours or by the time specified by the order. Preoperative (on the operating room schedule) crossmatch orders for blood must be received in the Blood Bank by 3:30 p.m.
Special Orders
Special orders include apheresis products (leukopheresis & platelet pheresis), platelets, FFP, cryoprecipitate, washed red cells, deglycerolized red cells and granulocyte concentrates for neonates. The indications for special orders have been defined by the UAMS Transfusion Standards Committee and special orders may require CP Resident consultation.
- Platelet requests require patient diagnosis, results of the last platelet count and the ordering physician’s name; requests may require consultation through the Clinical Pathology resident on call (688-2820) depending on the appropriateness of the order and the availability of platelets.
- Washed red cell request require consultation with the Clinical Pathology Resident on call (688-2820), unless the need for washed RBC’s has been previously established for a given patient.
- Leukopheresis requests require consultation with the Clinical Pathology Resident on call (688-2820), in order to determine the appropriateness of the order, the patient’s clinical condition, and to arrange for collection by American Red Cross.
Operating Room List
Each morning a list of those patients for the operating room (OR), on whom there is blood available, is sent to the operating room. The operating room blood list shows how many units of blood are available and any comments regarding problems for each patient with an order for blood. Patients whose names do not appear on the list have not had blood ordered for the operating room and will not have blood available.
Crossmatched Blood
Crossmatched blood is held for the life of the crossmatch specimen (3 days) for each patient. Since blood crossmatched for one patient is not available for use by others, we encourage housestaff to call and release the blood if the need for it has passed before the routine 3 day hold. Blood will be automatically released at 6:00am the third day after the crossmatch specimen is received.