Problems with blood bank

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Specializes in NICU.

Is anybody else having this issue in their hospital???

We use irradiated blood when we give transfusions to our babies (as do other areas of the hospital - like for chemo patients and other stuff...)

Homeland Security has decided that the equipment (or something) that the blood bank uses to irradiate the blood can be used to make a "dirty bomb"... something like that.

Therefore - all personal in the blood bank have to pass this rigorous background check. Several people in our blood bank (including the director) have not yet passed. I guess things like a speeding ticket can slow the process down.

Because of this (at night usually), there might not be somebody available in the blood bank to irradiate the blood for us. If it's a non-emergency, we are being asked to wait until somebody with clearance can get there. If it's an emergency, we are supposed to have to use "normal" O-neg blood (or something like that). But our MD has to OK it first.

I understand Homeland Security's concern about the irradiation equipment and all of that stuff... but come on!!!

Anybody else having problems with this in their neck of the woods???

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Specializes in NICU.

Okay, I know I'm terrible, and I'm sorry you're having frustrations with this (and I would be BOILING mad if I were you) but I'm giggling like a fiend right now. It's late, I guess.

Nothing about this yet in NYC. But our blood bank suuuuuuuuhhhhuuuuuucks at all times, so I'm not sure I would notice if they got any worse.

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Specializes in NICU.

When we all found out about this - we all thought "are you joking..."

But no.

And true to form - we found out because one of us had a "nice" conversation with blood bank at 4am about why it was taking so long for her baby's blood to be ready...

And yes Elizabells - it is funny! (I mean come on... does Homeland Security seriously not have anything else better to do???)

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It seems to me they should make sure that someone able to irradiate blood is available at all times. Someone is just going to have to work night shift until everyone has passed.

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And yes Elizabells - it is funny! (I mean come on... does Homeland Security seriously not have anything else better to do???)

Better to do? Like think out scenarios where someone could make a dirty bomb? Investigate who has access to nuclear material? Who would have thought 10 years ago that some guys could take a pilot's course, hijack a plan and fly it into the World Trade Center?

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Specializes in NICU.
Better to do? Like think out scenarios where someone could make a dirty bomb? Investigate who has access to nuclear material? Who would have thought 10 years ago that some guys could take a pilot's course, hijack a plan and fly it into the World Trade Center?

I wasn't trying in any shape or form to underestimate things. I know that the materials that they use in the irradiation process could indeed be used to make a dirty bomb. It was just one of those situations where it seemed so absurd at first, that all we could do is laugh about it. Not to mention the fact that even the director of the blood bank was having issues getting past all the red tape. And the information that we were first getting from the blood bank was that there may be times where at night, we simply would have to wait for somebody who had clearance to arrive.

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Specializes in NICU, ER.

We have the same situation in our facility. I cannot speak for night shift as I am not a night shifter but the Dept of Homeland Security wanted us to change our already brand spanking new building the dirty bomb maker is in and move to a "secure location." IDK where that is. So during the day we have a security guard on duty and can only access lab through him. It can be chalenging when you need blood ASAP.

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i would presume there has been some "intelligence" collected....it seems odd that no one thought of this before......

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

We haven't had a problem here...all of our people must have passed inspection or something!

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It seems to me they should make sure that someone able to irradiate blood is available at all times. Someone is just going to have to work night shift until everyone has passed.

You can have the XRay department do it...we do when our equipment is being repaired.

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