A properly labeled specimen must be obtained following the directions found in Blood Bank Sample ID or Collection of Blood Bank policies. Specimens that do not contain collector initials will be rejected.
Container/Tube: Pink-top (EDTA) tube
Specimen Volume: 6 mL of whole blood
Transport Temperature: Ambient
Collections Instructions: Patient must be wearing a valid armband containing name, medical record number, and date of birth. Forward promptly.
Specimen Viability: 3 days, Refrigerated
Agglutination
The antibody screen test is used to detect red blood cell antibodies. This is used as a screening test to evaluate safety of red blood cell transfusion. IgG antibodies against red blood cells are known to contribute to transfusion reactions. In the gel test, the reagent red blood cells are combined with sample serum/plasma in the upper reaction chamber of the microtube of an MTS Anti-IgG Card. Following an incubation period to enhance antigen/antibody interaction, the sensitized red blood cells react with the Anti-IgG incorporated in the gel of the microtube during a centrifugation step. Agglutination indicates the presence of an antigen/antibody reaction while lack of agglutination indicates the absence of an antigen/antibody reaction. Agglutinated red blood cells become trapped in the gel at various levels within the microtube, depending on the size of the agglutinates. Free nonagglutinated red blood cells pass through the gel and form a button of red blood cells on the bottom of the microtube.
Monday through Saturday
86850-Antibody screen
86900-Blood typing
86901-Rh type
Note: No units of blood are selected for patient with this order. Crossmatch of blood following a type and screen requires 5 to 10 minutes. Type and screen specimens expire in 3 days and can no longer be used for a crossmatch. Patient must wear armband during this time. If removed, a new specimen must be drawn.