Transfusion medicine handbook

3. Guide to Good Transfusion Practice

3.7 Pretransfusion Testing

Using the pretransfusion blood sample taken from the patient, the blood bank will perform a ‘group and screen’ (sometimes also referred to as ‘group and hold’, ‘group and save’ or ‘type and screen’). A ‘group and screen’ consists of the following procedures:

• ABO and RhD group
• Antibody screen
• Checking for previous or duplicate records for the patient and, when these are available, comparing current results with historical findings

If red cells are subsequently required, the blood bank will select appropriate donor units and perform a final compatibility check.

Various approaches exist for compatibility testing. This may involve either a serological crossmatch of the patient’s plasma versus donor red cells or, in some hospitals, an electronic crossmatch, where the blood bank computer performs the last compatibility check. Once pretransfusion testing is completed blood can be issued to the ward or operating theatre.