At the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS), a STAT blood request is given the highest priority and is ready within 15 minutes in the Blood Bank. When time is of the essence, follow the WCBS procedure for a STAT blood request to avoid unnecessary delays.
In a serious, life-threatening situation where there is no time to wait for crossmatched blood, a STAT blood request may be submitted with the patient sample, at the treating clinician’s discretion.
If there is any deviation in the sample or blood request form that cannot be resolved, the Blood Bank will issue group O emergency blood with consent from the treating clinician.
If no deviations exist, the Blood Bank will forward-group the patient sample (i.e., confirm the ABO and Rh antigens present on the red blood cells without testing for antibodies), then select group-specific blood. However, if there are grouping discrepancies, Blood Bank will issue group O red cells and/or AB plasma, as needed. Before releasing the blood, Blood Bank will contact the ward to check if the STAT blood is still required. If so, blood will be issued with a clinician’s responsibility sticker. In the event that the antibody screen tests positive, Blood Bank will recall the issued blood and replace it with suitably matched units.
Where plasma products are required STAT, and at least two historical patient transfusion records are available in the Blood Management System, the Blood Bank will issue group-specific plasma without waiting for the grouping test results. Where two historical records are not available, the grouping test will be completed before selecting group-specific plasma and issuing.
To learn more about the procedure for STAT blood requests, see the Blood Bank infographic below.
Download the Procedure for STAT Blood Request infographic.
For more information, contact your closest Blood Bank.
