[Critical analysis of the new ministerial order about guidelines in immunohaematology]

The evolution of the methods used in immunohematology is a constant concern for all those involved in the process. Thus, during the last few years, new technologies have been introduced which aim at improving performance. This improvement is not limited to the search for an overall increase in specificity-sensibility; it also takes into account the capability to detect "the clinical significant" as well as the limitations of human reliability, which justifies the introduction of automation and computerization. The whole of these methodological evolutions associated with that of the performance of re-agents, legitimate to modify the law about the realization of erythrocyte typing and detection of irregular antibodies. In order to ensure the immunohematologic safety of transfusions, it was also necessary to place the entire transfusion process under computer control: patient identification, sample collection, test results and release of blood.