Alert! If you need blood urgently, please telephone Blood Bank immediately on via the switchboard of your local District Health Board !
Timeframes
Emergency O negative units are immediately available and will be
compatible with almost all patients. They are appropriate to use when the risk of
exsanguination is high. However the units may be incompatible if the patient has
red cell antibodies so should only be used in true emergencies.
Group specific units take 10-15 minutes till issue. Like the Emergency O negative units these units may be incompatible if the
patient has red cell antibodies so should only be used in true emergencies.
Using group specific units helps Blood Bank maintain stock of desperate units
for other patients.
Urgent crossmatching of red cell units takes 45-60 minutes and are
fully compatible with the patient.
Remember to check the patient's ID when taking the blood sample and when
administering the blood, even in an emergency.
There is no point saving the patient only for him/her to die of an ABO incompatible transfusion!
