Annie Ilnicki, lab scientist, Parkview Health, explains that, when a call comes into the Parkview Blood Bank, the team is ready. For example, when the lab department is alerted to a massive transfusion protocol, which means someone’s losing blood fast, they are trained to act quickly and provide life-saving blood products.
A lot of science goes into deciding which products the patient needs. This science is called Immunohematology, and it’s all about antibodies, antigens and genetics. Blood bankers have extensive knowledge in immunohematology and genetics, and use that education to look at how a patient’s immune system will react to a transfusion. This testing is similar to testing that would take place before an organ donation.
Because there are so many patients who need transfusions, the blood bank team works closely with doctors and nurses all over the hospital. For the men and women who do this important work every day, using critical thinking to help others and meeting extreme deadlines to save lives is truly as rewarding as it gets.
