ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Automated systems are used widely for pre-transfusion tests in blood banks, in an attempt to reduce effort and human error. We evaluated the clinical performance of an automated blood bank system, ORTHO VISION (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Switzerland), for blood cross-matching. METHODS: Saline cross-matching was performed for 93 tests using 56 samples. Coombs cross-matching was performed for 400 tests using 166 samples. Saline cross-matching was compared for the automated ORTHO VISION and manual tube methods. Coombs cross-matching was compared for the automated ORTHO VISION and manual column agglutination technique (CAT) methods. The evaluation of 32 antibody-positive samples using the automated ORTHO VISION and manual CAT methods was compared by performing 97 cross-matching tests. Additionally, the ORTHO VISION efficiency and carryover were evaluated. RESULTS: The concordance rate of the saline cross-matching results between the manual method and automated ORTHO VISION was 100%. The concordance rate of coombs cross-matching results between manual CAT and automated ORTHO VISION was 97.9%. The concordance rate of cross-matching for antibody positive samples between manual CAT and the automated ORTHO VISION was 97.9%. Coombs cross-matching was efficient using ORTHO VISION, whereas saline cross-matching was efficient using the tube manual method. CONCLUSIONS: ORTHO VISION showed reliable results for cross-matching and was more efficient than manual CAT for coombs cross-matching. Thus, ORTHO VISION can be used for pre-transfusion tests in blood banks.