It is the middle of the night, you only have one blood bank technologist on duty, an urgent request for 6 units of packed PRBCs from a bleeding patient is received. You have units, you have the specimen, but also the unfortunate luck that the antibody screen is positive. There is no previous transfusion history and no previous results. What do you do? They need the blood YESTERDAY!!! The Transfusion Medicine Consultant is called and tells the staff not to release any RBCs until the workup is complete.

The following is taken from my Powerpoint presentation based on this incident. The intended audience is basic-level blood bank technical staff and the clinicians involved in the case: