Professionals

Transfusion service

The Banc de Sang i Teixits is the blood bank that supplies blood components for all hospitals and clinics in Catalonia. In addition:

Pre-transfusion tests

These are tests that must be run before transfusing blood or any of its components to ensure that the product to be administered is the best possible match for the recipient.

Methodology

ABO Group
Rh (D)
Irregular antibody screen
Crossmatching

Plasma exchange

This entails removing a patient's plasma and replacing it with a solution with the same volume and concentration as plasma proteins.

Methodology

Before removing the plasma, it must be separated from other blood components using a continuous flow cell separator equipped with a circuit of single-use plastic tubing.

Two venous lines must be hooked up to the separator circuit to establish a continuous flow into and out of the cell separator.

In order to keep the blood from clotting, it must be mixed with an anticoagulant solution of sodium citrate (ACD) at the moment it enters the cell separator's plastic circuit.

The following solutions may be used to replace the patient's plasma: pathogen-inactivated fresh plasma, quarantine fresh plasma and a 5% albumin solution.