When and why is blood crossmatched?

This is a very topical article. Since a high proportion of hazards of transfusion in several Hemovigilance programs show that a significant number are due to errors, particularly of giving the wrong blood to the wrong patient, this study of a large number of hospitals points at a possible main cause of such errors. The study also provides evidence and means of avoiding at least 25% of these errors, since crossmatching is performed out of hours in those patients, for no good reason. More studies of this nature, in other parts of the world, are needed.

– Marcela Contreras