Korean J Blood Transfus.  2016 Aug;27(2):148-154. 10.17945/kjbt.2016.27.2.148.

Current Status of Pretransfusion Tests and Equipments in Small and Medium Sized Hospitals in Korea

• Lim J
• Lim YA
• Lim HS
• Lim CS
• Kim JN
• Choi YS
• Jo HJ
• Jeong KE
• Kwon GC

• KMID: 2350670
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.17945/kjbt.2016.27.2.148

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The appropriate procedures and equipment for the pretransfusion test are fundamental to a safe blood transfusion. The present study aimed to assess the current status of procedures and equipment for pretransfusion tests at small- and medium-sized medical institutions, as well as to use this basic raw data to better manage blood transfusions at these institutions.
METHODS
Offline and online questionnaire surveys were performed at institutions that used between 24 and 1,000 units of blood products in 2014. A total of 338 institutions participated, and the survey results were subsequently analyzed.
RESULTS
Among 307 institutions where on-site ABO blood typing was performed, 15.0%, 2.1%, and 43.5% did not conduct ABO serum typing, RhD typing, and irregular antibody screening tests, respectively, and 12.8% only conducted the saline phase for crossmatching. Moreover, among 338 institutions, only 66.7% of blood banks had centrifuges, 84.5% had 37℃ incubators, 41.1% had slide view boxes; in addition, 66.1% and 18.6% had refrigerators and deep freezers, respectively, for blood storage.
CONCLUSION
Certain small- and medium-sized institutions did not have the essential equipment required to operate as blood banks. Moreover, they also needed to improve their testing procedures. To address these issues, the initiation of systematic training programs and the employment of institutional strategies are necessary to enhance testing procedures and equipment, respectively.

Keyword

Blood typing; Blood crossmatching; Blood grouping & crossmatching

MeSH Terms

Blood Banks
Blood Grouping and Crossmatching
Blood Transfusion
Education
Employment
Incubators
Korea*
Mass Screening