Have other facilities discontinued the collection and testing of post-reaction urine samples?

A colleague reports that a 'sister' hospital in their network has decided to discontinue collecting and testing post-reaction urine samples as part of the transfusion reaction investigation. The inquiring colleague would like to know if other facilities have discontinued collecting and testing post-reaction urine samples, and if so, why? If not, why not?

The following comments have been received.

ADDENDA Jan. 12, 2008

1. A colleague who works in a pediatric hospital reports that their laboratory does not require a urine sample to be submitted to the laboratory for the first tier of a transfusion reaction workup. However, if the initial work up reveals a positive finding such as post transfusion hemolysis, a positive direct antiglobulin test or an ABO testing error, the lab staff will ask the patient care staff to submit a urine sample. They take this approach because not all the kids can urinate on command, and they do not want to catheterize a child to collect a urine sample unless it is absolutely necessary.

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Ira A. Shulman, MD
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W. Tait Stevens, MD
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