Guidelines for Quality Assurance Programmes for Blood Transfusion Services

Book excerpt: A comprehensive guide to each component of a quality assurance program for blood transfusion services, whether established in a small hospital blood bank or a large transfusion centre. Measures described are intended to ensure the maximum safety of all procedures for donors, recipients, and the staff themselves. Arguing that a system of quality assurance should be implemented in all transfusion services and blood banks, the book emphasizes the vital importance of strict quality control procedures at each stage of each procedure. The first chapter explains the importance of meticulous records and documents. Chapter two outlines nine elements that must be included in all standard operating procedures and sets out requirements for their implementation. Subsequent chapters describe measures for quality assurance in donor selection and blood collection. A chapter focused on the responsibilities of laboratories sets out, in tabular form, specific requirements for the quality control of ABO grouping, Rh(D) blood group reagents, HBsAg testing, anti-HIV testing and syphilis testing. The remaining chapters cover the testing and quality assurance of blood components and describe the roles of transfusion committees and audits.