Cord Blood Collection

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Specializes in Perinatal, Education.

Do many of your patients bring in those cord blood collection kits?? The hospital where I've been for the past couple of years doesn't get them too often. The MDs aren't too used to them. We had one the other night that I had never seen before. It was a bit more complicated than others I've seen and had a huge bag for the collection--like when you donate blood!

Anyway, it has been my experience that the MDs collect the cord blood after delivery and we as RNs just do a maternal blood draw if necessary and help the parents with the packaging--as a courtesy really. Well, the other night I was working with a new OB--new MD as well--and she insisted that I do the cord blood draw as she would be busy 'taking care of the patient' after delivery and couldn't be bothered with such things. I wondered what she thought I might be doing after the delivery that I would have all of this time, but what do you do?

She went ahead and delivered the placenta before I was able to draw the blood so of course I didn't get enough--at least I don't think I did. These people pay a lot for these kits and I feel bad that it might have been wasted. Other nurses told me that I should have insisted that the MD do the draw as it is between the MD and patient and not a hospital issue. I am inclined to agree. With this particular MD I think she is just not sure of herself and also has a bit of a superiority complex going on.

What do you do at your facilities???

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Specializes in OB.

We see only a few of these kits also. I read all the directions ahead of time and make sure everyone involved in the care of the pt is aware of the kit. We will try to have another nurse come in and her/his sole job is to draw bloods for the kit, this will eleviate the "you do it, no you do it" type of discussion with the provider. I agree that these are the types of things that need to be worked out between the md/cnm and the pt ahead of time. Also the pt needs to understand that our job is to deliver a healthy baby and have a healthy mom, and if anything goes south, the last thing on anyones mind is "don't foget the cord bloods."

Molly

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Hi, new here.

At my facility the doc always draws the cord blood, so it only makes sense for them to draw the extra needed for these kits. I don't quite understand why she would want you to draw it, seems like to many hands in one place and would be a risk for falling on their sterile table. Then again our labor rooms are itty bitty and the slightest wrong move and your likely to fall on someone or something!! :uhoh3:

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UK Midwife here with a question, are these cord blood collecting kits used to collect the cord blood for stem cells? Or is there another reason I am missing completely?

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Specializes in OB.

yes they are stem cell collection kits.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

For awhile we were seeing a lot of them. Now not as many as one of our major ob groups are refusing to collect it. Has something to do with some lawsuit that a European company filed with some of the storage companies here in the U.S. I've tried to find more info. on the suit on the internet but I haven't been very successful...

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

We see them now and again. Not too often. The MD's and lab handle all draws, we just package them up according to directions.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

I don't think they do many in my town. I donated the cord blood after my last birth, the MD took it... she took a minute to figure it out earlier in labor before delivery... but then again she's a friend of mine who spent much more time with me than I think she usually does with most pts. I don't think she had done it at all in the year she'd been practicing here until me, even though they have some of the info in their office.

A cord blood company is storing her 2 babies' cord blood, I'm pretty sure for free.

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Our hospital policy is that we don't do anything with the kits. Supposedly people pay like $5,000 for the kits and initial storage then $500 a year for the storage. I don't want to b responsible for that. All the kits are so different and I've never been trained on their use. Some of the docs try to make us draw the mothers blood but we make them do it. If there were any problem with the kit the hospital could be liable if Rn's are involved in any part of the collection.

The most I have done is to call the company although I resented even being asked to do this because the guy on the other end wanted very detailed information about the patient and I don't have time to spend on the phone. I ended up telling him "I'm sorry I don't have time" and hanging up. Maybe that sounds a bit harsh but the patient came in labor and needed a repeat C/S so I really didn't have time.

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Specializes in LDRP; Education.

I've had one in my career. It was a fairly easy to use kit and I simply told everyone involved about the kit and what needed to be done. I simply handed the extra syringe to the doc who drew some extra cord blood; I then packaged it and even ran it to the Fed Ex office after my shift so it could go out in time!

My husband and I are considering doing cord blood collection for our twins.

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We actually have a cord blood office on our unit. If a pt is eligible, those guys get their consent if they're interested and take care of it (we draw cord blood anyway on every pt for RPR and typing), they just get the placenta as well.

I have no idea if there is a charge to the pt.

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We get them once in a while. In my last facility the Care Providers all did the collections, no questions asked. Here they do try to get us to do it. However, I discovered the the kit that usually comes in (from Viacord) states that the collection is to be done by the Care Provider so that helps convince them that it is their job.

I think we should have a policy for this though that clearly delineates the lines of responsibility and the appropriate procedures. Any thoughts on this?

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