title: Do we need to cross match blood for elective laminectomy?
abstract: Elective laminectomy cases do not need a routine order for typing and cross matching of blood. Data from the literature and from personal experience in the blood bank of a 580-bed general hospital are presented to support this conclusion. An ABO-Rh type and an antibody screen can safely substitute for routine cross matches for such cases. The use of type and screen rather than cross match allows the blood bank to distribute limited blood resources more efficiently without jeopardizing the patients.
mesh_terms: D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy