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
- 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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