A new blood storage tracking system was implemented at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Tuesday 25 January.

The Haemonetics BloodTrack System is designed to improve efficiency and safety of storing and releasing blood components.

As part of the project new fridges and /or new kiosks have been installed across the site:

• Blood Bank Issue Room
• Theatres
• Critical Care
• Emergency Department
• Interventional Radiology
• Centre for Clinical Haematology
• Royal Orthopaedic Hospital

The system is simple and easy to use, provides a full audit trail and a more robust way of monitoring the cold chain of blood components.

This has also allowed the use of Emergency O RhD positive alongside O RhD negative red cells in some areas.

Download the vacutainer tube guide

From Monday May 6th the QE Laboratories will now be using the Abbott Alinity analysers to provide biochemistry and serology services. The results are largely comparable to the previous Roche results, however some reference ranges and interpretation guidance has changed.

For the core routine analytes the laboratory has adopted the nationally agreed Pathology Harmony reference ranges:

The reference ranges for 

PTH: 1.6 - 7.2 pmol/L

CA199: < 37 KU/L

have changed.

High Sensitive Troponin T has changed to High Senstive Troponin I

1.  “Result is > 99^th centile.  In cases of chest pain this could be indicative of an ACS.  Requires clinical assessment by cardiologist or cardiology nurse practitioner”
2.  “Result indicates a detectable troponin level but  below 99^th percentile.  No evidence of an ACS but a second sample 1-3 hours apart  is required to rule out myocardial infarction.
3. Result indicates no detectable troponin (<5).  If the chest pain was > 6 hours ago this result makes an ACS unlikely and in the absence of high clinical suspicion no further troponin test is required.  

Troponin results cannot be used in isolation to diagnose or rule out an ACS.  Please use the HEART score and refer to cardiologist or cardiology nurse practitioner if advice is required.

Microbiology will endeavour to perform additional tests on specimens (except Serology) at the request of medical staff and if we are contacted within 48 hours of receipt. Serology specimens are processed, in most cases, by Biochemistry and so are an exception unless from an out-patient where the test would affect their management.

The feasibility of performing extra tests on a specimen is reliant on there being sufficient material, that the specimen is appropriate for the test and that it is still available. Consideration should be given to resubmitting specimens that can easily be obtained unless, in the interim, antibiotics have been administered.