Audits have shown that the majority of patients undergoing surgery are not transfused during the intra operative stage.
Units of red cells are no longer routinely crossmatched pre-operatively to cover surgical procedures. Surgical procedures require a valid Group and antibody screen sample only, unless the patient is known to have blood group antibodies or is at increased risk of bleeding during surgery.
If donor units are required pre-operatively, the reason for the request must be discussed with Blood Bank - Ext. 7697 Bleep 298