The case for standardization of transfusion medicine practices in French blood banks

Despite a decrease in collection and transfusion of blood components and technical and quality assurance improvements, adverse effects of transfusion, particularly fatalities due to ABO incompatibility, remain high. In order to evaluate the immunohaematology and blood products recipient practices in French blood banks, we have mailed a questionnaire and analysed the answers. Our study shows a great variation in practices. Most blood banks (70.6%) perform a second ABO blood grouping test for patients before they consider it as valid and keep it in their laboratory's computer system. The use of faxed requisition forms for blood products (84.0%) or immunological data (89.4%) are commonly accepted by French blood banks before preparation of orders for blood components. Nevertheless, at the time of blood product delivery, 40.4% of them required the original order documents. Completion of the transfusion follow-up form for blood components is undertaken free of charge by blood banks. When immunohaematology data of a patient are in the blood banks computer system and if a hospital department wants patient's ABO rhesus (RH1) blood group card, a duplicate of this card is frequently edited. Lastly, a committee is needed to establish, as in United Kingdom, guidelines in blood products recipients practices in French blood banks. Standard operating procedures regarding organization, documentation, techniques, etc., at the blood banks and the hospital will be written and valided for each step of the process prior to blood transfusion of a patient.