Transfusion Services

Frontier Lifeline Hospital offers a comprehensive range of transfusion services with a full range of testing and blood products to support transplants, trauma, and patients with chronic anemia and hematologic issues. 

Blood Transfusion Services

• This transfusion service provides 24*7 immunohematology laboratory services. It includes blood typing and screening for blood group antibodies and is performed using two ultra-sensitive, cutting-edge automated solid-phase immunohematology analyzers.
• For patients who require transfusions of red blood cells, and have allergies to plasma, the blood transfusion services remove plasma using saline washing with automated cell washing centrifuges.
• For patients who are in need of red blood cells of a rare type and multi-transfused patients with sickle cell disease, an inventory of rare types of red blood cells frozen at -80C is maintained for the blood transfusion services. This inventory of frozen red cells is selected to match the patient’s requirements who require lifelong transfusions of rare types of red cells. 
• Our department at Frontier Lifeline Hospital provides in-hospital laboratory services for antibody identification, immunohematology studies to diagnose autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and antibody titers for women who have a high-risk pregnancy for hemolytic disease of the foetus/newborn.
• The laboratory also performs serologic titers of anti-A1 and anti-A2 (A sub) especially for kidney transplant patients, by increasing the number of cadaver kidneys that are available for transplantation.

Type and Screen of Blood Transfusion Services in Chennai 

Some of the types and screens include the following:

• Red Blood Cells, Irradiated, and Deglycerolized
  This component has to be approved by a Transfusion Service physician before the transfusion of red blood cells.
• Red Blood Cells, CMV Negative
  All red blood cells have reduced leukocytes and are considered CMV safe. CMV-negative tested components are required for IUTs, neonates, and currently pregnant women receiving blood component transfusion services in Chennai.
• Group O Low Titer (less than 1:200) Irradiated Whole Blood and Liquid Plasma
  This product or blood bank is only stored in the ED refrigerators. These units in blood transfusion services are used only for trauma patients.
• Neonatal Transfusion (Paediatric Transfusion)
  Initial neonatal blood bank in Chennai requires transfusion service to:

1. Heel stick on the infant 
2. Maternal type and antibody screen within the delivery of 3 days. 

For infants over 4 months, a new heel stick is needed every 3 days.

• Platelet Pheresis, CMV Negative
  Only CMV-negative tested components are required for neonates, IUTs, and pregnant women to receive blood component transfusion services.
• Platelet Pheresis, HLA Matched or Cross-matched. 

For HLA matched, patients must have HLA typing and go for HLA Typing, HLA Antibody Screen. 

• Plasma Cryoprecipitate Reduced
  You have to see Fresh Frozen Plasma and require the approval of a Transfusion Service physician.

Blood Bank

• This blood bank in Chennai is formerly known as the Blood Products as it constitutes red blood cells, apheresis platelets, plasma, cryoprecipitate AHF, and other blood products to ensure in supporting proper medical care, including bone marrow, surgeries, and solid organ transplants.
• The blood bank has a computerized blood order entry (CPOE) program to support blood orders for patient-centered blood management in compliance with national guidelines. A daily blood utilization review includes blood transfusion services of red blood cells and apheresis platelets which is conducted by a specialist in Transfusion Medicine.

Available Blood Products

All our blood products at Frontier Lifeline Hospital are pre-storage leukocyte-reduced and cytomegalovirus (CMV) reduced-risk.

• Autologous red blood cells
• Apheresis platelets
• Directed red blood cells
• Packed red blood cells
• Cryoprecipitate
• Plasma
• Acro dose platelets (pooled random donor platelets)

The products available for patients who seek blood transfusion services with special needs include:

• Human leukocyte antigen-matched platelets
• Frozen red blood cells for rare phenotypes
• Cross-matched platelets

Red Blood Cell (RBC) Testing

• Antibody screen and antibody identification
• ABO and Rh typing
• Alloantibody titters
• Direct antiglobulin test

Special Ordering Needs

Refers to special product attributes that are required for different patient populations. Some examples include:

• Irradiated
• Washed
• Volume-reduced

To sum up, the Blood Bank and Transfusion Services in Frontier Lifeline Hospital respond to the patient’s needs and the physicians also serve them by providing quality products and services by continually improving the efficiency and quality of our operations.