[Yes, we should keep ABO agglutination test within bedside transfusion checks].

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Laboratory Science

Background:

• ABO incompatible transfusions are a significant cause of adverse transfusion reactions.
• Bedside checks aim to prevent ABO mismatch errors during blood transfusions.
• France uniquely incorporates an ABO agglutination test into bedside checks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the bedside ABO agglutination test in preventing ABO incompatible transfusions.
• To assess the impact of linking the ABO agglutination test with other bedside checks.
• To determine the optimal strategy for minimizing ABO incompatible transfusions.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of an ABO agglutination test card used in bedside checks.
• Analysis of the sensitivity of the ABO agglutination test alone and when linked with other patient and blood checks.
• Review of transfusion accident investigations in France post-2003 regulation.

Main Results:

• The standalone ABO agglutination test detects up to 93% of ABO incompatibilities, with frequent user mishandling.
• Linking the ABO agglutination test with other bedside checks increases sensitivity to an estimated 99.65%.
• Since the 2003 regulation linking tests, France has seen a dramatic decrease in ABO incompatible transfusions.

Conclusions:

• The ABO agglutination test alone is insufficient for bedside checks.
• Linking the ABO agglutination test with patient and blood checks is highly effective in preventing ABO incompatible transfusions.
• This linked bedside procedure has proven efficient and should be maintained, as bypassing it leads to accidents.