The shift toward using a transfusion strategy in a ratio to mimic whole blood (WB) functionality has revitalized WB as a viable option to replace severe blood loss in civilian health care. A military‐civilian collaboration has contributed to the reintroduction of WB at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway. WB has logistical and hemostatic advantages in both the pre‐ and in‐hospital settings where the goal is a perfectly timed balanced transfusion strategy. In this paper, we describe an event leading to activation of our emergency WB collection strategy for the first time. We evaluate the feasibility of our civilian walking blood bank (WBB) to cover the need of a massive amount of blood in an emergency situation. The challenges are discussed in relation to the different stages of the event with the recommendations for improvement in practice.
We conclude that the use of pre‐screened donors as a WBB in a civilian setting is feasible. The WBB can provide platelet containing blood components for balanced blood resuscitation in a clinically relevant time frame.
The influence of lipid and high concentrations of leukocytes on the haemoglobin determination by six different instruments was examined. The increase in the determination of haemoglobin concentration with elevated amounts of lipid in the samples was greatest with the Coulter Counter S plus III and the Technicon H 1 followed by the LK 540 and the Technicon H 6000. There was no effect of lipid on the haemoglobin determination using the Reflotron. High concentrations of leukocytes increased the haemoglobin determination most by Coulter Counter S plus III and Hemocap. There were no changes in the haemoglobin determinations by the LK 540 and the Technicon H 6000 when the samples contained increased amounts of leukocytes.
Stability of blood constituents after mail transport was examined using two different automated haematology instruments, that is, Coulter Counter S plus II and Technicon H 6000. The results were analysed by two different statistical methods. In all but four cases these methods yielded similar results. The B-LPC, B-EPC B-Hb, B-EVF, E-MCH, E-MCHC and B-TPC were stable after mail transport for 48 h when measured with Coulter Counter S plus II. In contrast, none of these parameters were stable when measured with Technicon H 6000. The differential count measured by cytochemical staining technique with Technicon H 6000 was stable for 72 h whereas the percentage of L-Lymphocytes measured with Coulter Counter S plus II was unstable after 24 h of mail transport. The criteria of stability are discussed in relation to changes of constituents that are of importance in medical decision making.
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