Week 1

1. Introduction and tour of the Blood Bank
2. Processing blood and blood products from American Red Cross
   • Confirming ABO/Rh type of whole blood and red cells
   • Introduction to Laboratory Information System
   • Reading and grading reactions
   • Entering and processing FFP, cryo, random donor platelets and single donor platelets
   • Temperature requirements/restrictions for transportation and storage of blood products
   • Hemoglobin S testing and antigen typed units from blood supplier
3. Introduction to gel technology

Week 2

1. Specimen acceptability
2. Perform Type and Screens and crossmatches on real patients using gel technology
   • History check requirements including safety checks as well as accreditation requirements
   • DATs in tube and IgG DATs in gel (explain implications and mechanisms of positive DAT
3. DATs in tube and IgG DATs in gel (explain implications and mechanisms of positive DAT)
4. Antigen testing on both, patients and donors (include the effects of a positive DAT on antigen typing)
5. Perform testing on expired samples for practice in both, gel and tube technology
6. Mid-term evaluation

Week 3

1. Perform antibody Screens on patients with known positives
   • Discuss importance of history check in antibody identification
2. Perform Antibody Identification
   • Panel selection in Antigen Plus System
   • Dosage effect
   • Single and multiple antibodies
   • Use of enzymes in antibody identification
   • 3+ / 3- rule and statistical validity
   • Previously identified antibodies
3. Given expired samples with known antibodies
4. Students given known samples as wet practicum
5. Mixed field reactions
6. Neonatal type and screens
7. Fetal-maternal incompatibility and selection of blood products for neonates
8. Rhogam (why it is given prophylactically)
9. Eluate: Acid eluate and Lui Freeze Thaw elute preparation
10. Warm auto antibody and cold auto antibody and how this affects patient transfusion

Week 4

1. Introduction to component preparation
2. Irradiation of blood and platelets
   • Why we irradiate
   • Which products are irradiated
   • CHOP irradiation policy
3. Washing a unit of red blood cells using COBE cell washers
   • Why we wash
   • Expiration time
4. Platelet selection
5. Saline suspension of platelets
6. Thawing plasma and cryoprecipitate
   • Expiration time
7. Preparing aliquots using syringe
   • Labeling requirements
   • Expiration times
8. Adsol Reduction of red blood cells
9. Tagging of unit of blood or blood products for patients
10. Communication with clinical staff (phone etiquette)
11. Reagent QC (watch/perform)
12. Equipment QC (watch/perform)
13. Final wet practicum, written quiz and final evaluation