Practicalities of service provision

Standard UK autologous label

The labelling of autologous blood is as important as the labelling of allogeneic (donor) units. To address this issue, and to promote the safe and appropriate use of cell salvage, the UK Cell Salvage Action Group (UKCSAG) developed a generic label (PDF 748KB) for autologous blood.

The aim is to help standardise practice through the routine labelling of autologous blood in all hospitals throughout the UK. The label is available, free of charge, from the majority of cell salvage equipment manufacturers in the UK.

Further guidance on the reinfusion of salvaged blood is available in factsheet 4 (PDF 76KB).

Safety standards for invasive procedures

National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs) set out the key steps for safe delivery of care of patients undergoing invasive procedures, and are intended to be modified in to Local Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (LocSSIPs).

Organisations using intraoperative or postoperative cell salvage should account for this in LocSSIPs where these are in use.

UKCSAG has prepared guidance (PDF 596KB) to support this, and an example of an intraoperative cell salvage LocSSIP (PDF 838KB).