Ordering Tests

Blood Components

General Information
A MIS generated order is necessary for blood components unless a medical emergency makes it impossible. In this case telephone requests are honored but must be followed by a MIS order as soon as feasible.

A complete crossmatch takes at least one hour from the time the patient's blood sample is received in the laboratory. In urgent situations a ten minute abbreviated (immediate spin) crossmatch can be performed or uncrossmatched blood released. Please relay this request by phone at 6-8335. Be prepared to state the patient's full name, medical record #, number of units of RBC requested, your name and the name of the requesting physician. A subsequent follow up report will be required.

Blood specimens may be used for crossmatching until midnight of the third day following collection. Before ordering red blood cells it is important to know if a current acceptable specimen is already available in DTM. This is determined by viewing current blood bank orders for type and screen that display the specimen outdate or by checking the patient's arm for a Typenex bracelet dated within three days of the desired transfusion. Requesting a new specimen be drawn when a sample is already available significantly delays the availability of blood for the patient. Standing orders for type and screen should be placed for Q4 day collection frequency to take advantage of the maximum life of the specimen.

If excessive intraoperative blood loss is anticipated please contact the DTM physician on call for a consultation prior to surgery so that we can assure adequate inventory is available.

MIS Orders for Blood Components

From the Physician's Master Menu Choose:

Transfusion Medicine (Apheresis, BL BK, Hep, HLA)
Verify date that Consent for Blood Components was signed and obtain a new consent if over 12 months ago.
Blood Components
Next screen gives the option of viewing current DTM orders, last CBC results, or DTM Special Messages. Special messages display a history of transfusion reactions and transfusion restrictions such as irradiation.
Pre-Op Blood Orders (MSBOS)
This option allows one to access the maximum surgical blood order system whereby an order for a type and screen or a predetermined number of RBC is generated depending on the surgical procedure selected.

1. Irradiated Blood Products by Diagnosis (If the patient has one of the diagnoses displayed select the diagnosis to order irradiated blood components).
2. No Irradiated Blood Products Needed (If the patient's diagnosis is not listed choose this option)

For non-surgical blood orders choose:

1. RBC (Also allows selection of irradiated blood by diagnosis)
2. Autologous RBC (if applicable)
3. Directed Donor RBC (if applicable)

FFP, cryoprecipitated AHF, and platelets are ordered through a similar pathway.

Note: All components must also have infusion orders entered prior to transfusion.