Blood Transfusion Service

The Blood and Tissue Bank supplies blood components to all hospitals and clinics in Catalonia.

  • It is the comprehensive responsible for the transfusion services in 11 Hospitals of the Catalan Public Network.
  • It undertakes to be the reference center for resolving transfusion queries for all transfusion services of hospitals and clinics in Catalonia.
  • It participates in hospital transfusion committees.
  • It actively performs hemovigilance throughout the Catalonia territory.

Blood Transfusion Tests

These are the tests that are carried out before a blood transfusion or any of its components, with the aim of ensuring the maximum compatibility between the recipient and the product administered, in order to guarantee a safe transfusion.

Methodology

Blood Type ABO

Global testing, facing the recipient's red blood cells with anti-A, anti-B, and anti-AB reagents.

Serological test, where the recipient's serum is faced with A1 and B red blood cells.

These determinations are carried out in all types of transfusions.

Rh (D)

Use of a monoclonal anti-D reagent.

If the result is negative, it is repeated using a monoclonal anti-D IgG-IgM reagent that detects variant VI of the D antigen.

Irregular Antibody Screening

It is done by crossmatching (with a technique at 37°C and antiglobulin) the recipient's serum with a panel of three red blood cells containing clinically significant antigens.

In cases where the result is positive, the antibody identification is carried out by crossmatching the serum with a panel of 10 red blood cells.

The screening for irregular antibodies is done solely in red blood cell transfusions.

Cross-matching

Crossmatching tests are performed by exposing the recipient's serum to the red blood cells that will be transfused, using a technique at 37°C and the antiglobulin test.

They are only done in some clinical situations as a pretransfusion test for red blood cell concentrates or whole blood.