How to screen blood for transfusions

Concerning transfusion, blood banks need to ensure firstly that donor blood is as safe as possible before administering verabreichen it to a patient and secondly that it is safe for the person to donate blood. Therefore potential donors have to consider several precautions :

The donor should weigh at least 110 lb (50 kg); have a hemoglobin (Hgb) level of 13.5 g (men) and 12.5 g (women); the body temperature should not be higher than 98.6˚F (37°C); the blood pressure should measure between 160/90 and 100/50 mm Hg. The physician may modify these guidelines depending on individual situations. In general, the donor has to be in very good health with no infections (also respiratory infections) or allergies.

When does it come to deferral ?

If donors ever had hepatitis, jaundice , a history of IV drug use or malaria they will be not accepted for blood donations . In case of pregnancy or blood transfusion ( exclusion for at least 6 months). Travelling to specific countries may also exclude donors. Dental operations or tooth extraction within 72 hours before the donation. Vaccines and some immunizations are also reasons for exclusion. What does typing and cross-matching mean? The laboratory has to make sure that the donor blood is compatible with the blood of the recipient . This typing and cross-matching takes at least 15 – 30 minutes. Blood typing is a test to find out what specific blood type you are. Blood types are categorized using a blood typing system called the AB0 system. First the patient’s blood type and factor are determined . Afterwards a matching unit of blood will be taken from the blood bank. Cross-matching means that the med tech mixes a small sample of the two bloods to see if any clumping occurs .

What about typing and screening? The physician orders typing and screening if there is just a faint possibility that blood will be needed. However the physician wouldn’t order cross-matching in this case.

In a screening, the patient’s blood is tested. Thus, the cross-matching can be performed within a few minutes and in case that blood is needed. One advantage of screening is, that it does not tie up a unit of blood when it is likely not needed. For example, if two units of blood are typed for one patient until her or his operation is over, the very same blood will only be released for recross-matching for another patient thereafter.

And typing for packed cells? In this case, the patient needs red blood cells (RBCs) but no serum. One unit of packed RBCs contains only about one-fourth the amount of plasma as one unit of blood. Nowadays packed cells are much more common for blood transfusions than is whole blood. Typing and cross-matching, however, is also necessary as it is for whole blood.

How about alternatives? Are there any alternatives to transfusions with blood bank blood? Yes, there is another option. If you use an autologous blood recovery unit, the blood which is lost in the surgical field will be recycled here.

ANSWER KEY TO: Zika Virus Disease (2) - see MTA Dialog April 2016

National authorities reported potential neurological and auto-immune complications of Zika virus disease during large outbreaks in French Polynesia and Brazil in 2013 and 2015. Local health authorities have observed an increase in babies born with microcephaly in northeast Brazil. There is an increasing body of evidence about the link between Zika virus and microcephaly. However, more investigation is needed to better understand the relationship between microcephaly in babies and the Zika virus. The best prevention is to protect yourself against mosquito bites. Also prevent mosquito bites for the first week of your illness to avoid spreading the disease. Using insect repellent, covering much of the body with clothing, mosquito nets, and getting rid of standing water where mosquitoes develop are further protective measures. Special attention and help should be given to those who may not be able to protect themselves adequately, such as young children, the sick or elderly. If there are symptoms, they are very similar to dengue (another arbovirus infection) and include skin rashes, mild fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. As said, most cases have no symptoms at all. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Stevens C.: Clinical Immunology & Serology: A Laboratory Perspective, F. A. Davis Company, 1995 http://dict.leo.org www.dict.cc www.webster-dictionary.org EXERCISE: 1. Which one of the following routine tests are performed on a unit of donated blood? a. Malaria b. Toxoplasmosis c. HCV (hepatitis C virus)

2. Dr. Levine needs a unit of packed cells for his patient. Which of the following are packed cells? a. Plasma b. Less plasma and erythrocytes c. Leukocytes d. Serum and erythrocytes

Die Autorin: Carmen Lobitz mail@lobitz-seminare.de www.lobitz-seminare.de Carmen Lobitz ist freie Trainerin, Lehrerin und MTA. Sie gründete 1998 in Berlin lobitz seminare, die u.a. Englischseminare für Health Professionals anbieten.

###more###

Lösung für Exercise:

Answer: 1c

Answer: 2b

How to screen blood for transfusions

Online-Angebot der MT im Dialog

Stellen- und Rubrikenmarkt

How to screen blood for transfusions

Sie wollen den ganzen Text lesen?

Online-Angebot der MT im Dialog

Stellen- und Rubrikenmarkt