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Blood Bank:� Emergency Release and Massive Transfusion Protocol

Zachary Chinn, M.D.

Toni Peters, M.D.

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Request for blood…

  1. Type and screen already performed
    • No antibodies 🡪 Type-specific crossmatch compatible blood

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  • No blood sample in house
    • O-negative uncrossmatched blood*

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  • Only type (ABO) performed (~15 min)
    • Type specific uncrossmatched blood*

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  • Type and screen performed but…
    • Antibodies present
    • Need to identify antibody and crossmatch

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Emergency Release

  • RBCs needed prior to workup of patient sample

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Request for blood…

  1. Type and screen already performed
    • No antibodies 🡪 Type-specific crossmatch compatible blood

​

  • No blood sample in house
    • O-negative uncrossmatched blood* 🡪 Emergency release

​

  • Only type (ABO) performed (~15 min)
    • Type-specific uncrossmatched blood* 🡪 Emergency release

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  • Type and screen performed but…
    • Antibodies present
    • Need to identify antibody and crossmatch, but blood can still be released…* 🡪 Emergency release

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Emergency Release

  • RBCs needed prior to workup of patient sample
  • As quick as 5 min
  • Can request any amount
  • Signed waiver needed (treating physician or pathologist)
    • Why? 🡪 Acknowledgement of chance that transfused blood may cause transfusion reaction
      • Most commonly delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction
    • Blood bank will always give most compatible blood that we can!

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Massive Transfusion Protocol

  • Specific protocol for acute blood loss
  • Fixed release of blood products
  • Generally, as quick as 10 min

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