Group and Screen

Blood Transfusion

Purpose

A group and screen is required whenever there is a possibility of a patient requiring a transfusion e.g. surgical risk, haemorrhage or anaemia

Notes

• For non-urgent cases, samples should be sent to the laboratory at least 24 hours before any transfusion requirement
• For urgent situations, a group and save can be completed within 1 hour on receipt of sample
• If blood is required urgently, and there is no valid group and save in the laboratory, a full serological crossmatch will take approximately 40 minutes on following receipt of sample in the laboratory.
• If a patient has been transfused or pregnant within the last 3 months, then the sample is only valid for 3 days, which is from the time the sample is taken to the subsequent transfusion.
• If a patient has NOT been transfused or pregnant within the last 3 months, then the sample is only valid for 7 days.
• The Transfusion IT system will inform you if there is a valid sample in the laboratory and if the patient is eligible for electronic issue or not, or if a new sample is required.
• Samples may need referral to NHSBT Filton, Bristol for further investigation
• This test is performed at GRH and CGH
• The following factors are known to significantly affect the performance of the examination or the interpretation of the results: lipaemia, sample clotted (if EDTA), haemolysed. Any sample displaying these factors cannot be processed and will be rejected.

Sample validity guidelines are summarised in the table below for clarity;

Sample requirements

EDTA tube - 6mL - preferred tube

4 mL EDTA tube -for young children or older children who are difficult to bleed

Required information

The request form and sample must be labelled with

• Surname
• First Name
• Date of Birth
• NHS or Hospital Number

The sample must be labelled, signed and dated by the person taking the blood

The sample tube must be in date

Unlabelled, incorrectly, altered or inadequately labelled samples will not be accepted. No specimen is considered unrepeatable.

Turnaround time

Within 24 hours for routine Group and Screen.

Urgent Group and Screen - within 1 hour of receipt in the laboratory