Blood bank glossary
Plain-English definitions of 36 terms used in Indian blood banks and transfusion services, from ABO grouping and crossmatch to look-back, quarantine, ISBT 128 and the bodies that set national policy.
- ABO blood group
- The main blood group system. A person is group A, B, AB or O depending on which A and B antigens are on their red cells and which antibodies are in their plasma.
- Antibody screen
- A test of the patient's plasma for unexpected red cell antibodies, other than anti-A and anti-B, that could cause a reaction.
- Apheresis
- Collection of one component, such as platelets (single donor platelets, SDP) or plasma, from a donor by a machine that returns the rest of the blood.
- Blood storage centre
- A hospital facility licensed to store and issue blood received from a mother blood centre, without collecting from donors itself.
- Bombay phenotype (Oh)
- A rare group that lacks the H antigen. People with it can receive red cells only from other Bombay phenotype donors.
- C:T ratio
- Crossmatch to transfusion ratio: units crossmatched divided by units transfused. A high ratio means blood is being reserved but not used.
- Component separation
- Splitting a whole blood donation into red cells, plasma and platelets by centrifuging, within a set time after collection.
- Crossmatch
- A test that mixes patient plasma with donor red cells to confirm they are compatible before the unit is issued.
- Cryoprecipitate
- A component made from fresh frozen plasma, rich in fibrinogen and factor VIII, used for some bleeding disorders.
- Deferral
- A decision that a donor cannot donate for a period (temporary) or ever again (permanent), for the donor's or the patient's safety.
- DIN (donation identification number)
- The unique number given to each donation and printed on the bag and its sample tubes. In ISBT 128 it includes a facility code and a check character.
- Direct antiglobulin test (DAT)
- A test for antibodies or complement already attached to a patient's red cells, used in investigating reactions and haemolysis.
- eRaktKosh
- The Government of India's web platform for blood bank stock, donor and camp information.
- FEFO
- First expiry, first out: issuing the unit that expires soonest among compatible units, to reduce wastage.
- Forward and reverse grouping
- Forward grouping tests the red cells for A and B antigens; reverse grouping tests the plasma for anti-A and anti-B. The two must agree.
- Fresh frozen plasma (FFP)
- Plasma separated and frozen within the set time after collection so that clotting factors are preserved.
- Haemovigilance
- The system for reporting and learning from transfusion reactions and donor reactions. In India this is the Haemovigilance Programme of India (HvPI).
- ISBT 128
- The international standard for identifying and labelling blood components with barcodes, managed by ICCBBA.
- Look-back
- Tracing earlier donations from a donor who later tests reactive, so that their components can be withdrawn and recipients informed.
- Mother blood centre
- The licensed blood centre that supplies tested units to a blood storage centre.
- NACO
- National AIDS Control Organisation, which with NBTC sets national policy for blood transfusion services in India.
- NAT (nucleic acid testing)
- A test for the genetic material of viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, which can detect infection earlier than antibody tests.
- NBTC
- National Blood Transfusion Council, the national body that frames policy and guidelines for blood transfusion services in India.
- Packed red blood cells (PRBC)
- The red cell component left after most plasma is removed from whole blood, given for anaemia and blood loss.
- Platelet concentrate
- Platelets separated from a whole blood donation (random donor platelets) and stored at room temperature with gentle shaking.
- QNS (quantity not sufficient)
- A donation with too little volume for the bag type, which cannot be processed into standard components.
- Quarantine
- Holding units apart until all tests are complete and verified, so that no untested unit can be issued.
- Release
- The decision, by an authorised medical officer, that a tested unit is fit for use and can move from quarantine into available stock.
- Replacement donation
- A donation made by a patient's family member or friend to replace blood used. Voluntary donation is preferred in national policy.
- Rh(D)
- The D antigen of the Rh system. People who have it are Rh positive; people who do not are Rh negative.
- SBTC
- State Blood Transfusion Council, which implements blood transfusion policy in each state.
- Single donor platelets (SDP)
- Platelets collected from one donor by apheresis, giving a dose equal to several whole blood platelet units.
- Thalassaemia
- An inherited blood disorder in which the body makes too little haemoglobin. Severe forms need regular red cell transfusions for life.
- TTI (transfusion transmissible infections)
- Infections that can pass through blood. Indian blood centres test every donation for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis and malaria.
- Weak D
- A form of the D antigen that is present but weakly expressed. Rh-negative donors are tested for weak D so that their blood is labelled correctly.
- Whole blood
- Blood collected from a donor with anticoagulant, before any separation into components.
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