Biological Monitors

Blood and blood components must be labeled with specific machine-readable bar code information.  The unit of blood or blood component label would contain the machine-readable information if the blood or blood component has any possibility of being transfused to a patient, whether or not the unit is actually transfused.  The purpose of the bar coding rule is to reduce transfusion errors and increase patient safety.  There are currently 5 separate bar codes required on blood products.

All blood and blood components for transfusion — including splits units, pooled units, pedi-packs and syringes must have a machine-readable code (bar codes).  Bottom line: If it's a blood or a blood component and it goes to the patient's bedside it must bear machine-readable information.

Temperature plays a critical role in blood storage:  plasma must be frozen as soon as possible −18 °C (−0.4 °F) or colder, red cells must be refrigerated (1-6°C, 34-43°F) and platelets are kept in continuous shaking platforms at room temperature (20-24°C, 36-75°F). SIRA's 2nd generation Irreversible thermochromic compound not only provides all the above thermal monitoring thresholds, it readily provides any thermochromic monitoring thresholds from 0° to 180°F.