The UCM Blood Bank provides transfusion support for our high acuity and complex patients, including level 1 trauma, high risk obstetrics, organ transplant, hematology-oncology, and surgical oncology. Our highly skilled technologists utilize automated analyzers to optimize process control for the critical aspects of sample identification and testing in order to maximize patient safety.
We provide a full spectrum of blood product modification, including irradiation, spitting, pooling, and washing to support our patient population.
Our Transfusion Medicine physicians consult in cases of transfusion reactions to diagnose the disorder and maximize patient safety during future transfusions.
We provide platelet serologic testing to investigate for immune refractoriness and provide best-matched platelet units for bleeding transfusion refractory patients.
We incorporate red cell genotyping (performed by our reference laboratory) to optimize blood matching for hard-to-treat patients with sickle cell disease, thalassemia, warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia, or those being treated with advanced immunotherapeutics that interfere with standard blood bank testing.
Our Transfusion Medicine physicians are also experts in apheresis and direct a consult service for therapeutic plasma exchange, red cell exchange, stem cell harvest, and leuko- and platelet-reduction
Our Blood Donor Center collects whole blood units, which are processed into red blood cells and plasma, as well as platelets collected by apheresis. Healthy volunteers donate in our DCAM location as well as though coordinated blood drives at outreach events. All of our collections are used exclusively for UCM patients. After the blood is drawn, samples are extensively tested to ensure that donated products are free of infectious diseases that can be transmitted through blood.
Blood donation is incredibly important to provide critical blood products to a variety of patients.
For appointments or questions, please call us at 773-702-6247 or email us at DonorServices@uchospitals.edu.
Tests
- ABO/RhD Typing
- Antibody Identification Panel
- Antibody Titration
- Cord Blood Testing
- Direct Antiglobulin Test (DAT)
- Fetal Cell Screen
- Platelet Antibody Screen and Crossmatch
- Prenatal ABO, RhD, and Antibody Screen
- Red cell antigen typing
- Type and Screen