A quality assurance scheme for the Kleihauer test: the Scottish experience 1988-1996

This report describes the experience gained in the last 8 years of implementing and administering a Quality Assurance Scheme dedicated to improving the reliability of Kleihauer test results in Scotland. Initially the five transfusion centres in Scotland were the only participants, but since 1992 all 15 hospital laboratories in Scotland performing the Kleihauer test to ensure an adequate dose of anti-D is administered to Rh-negative women, at risk of developing allo anti-D, have joined this voluntary scheme. As a result of the standardization of technical methods, improvement in reporting of QA results has been observed since 1994.