Cell Salvage Blood Labelling — FRCA Final MCQ

Correct answer: C — 'Autologous blood – for this patient only' with patient identification

Cell-salvaged autologous blood must be clearly labelled with the patient's identification details (name, date of birth, hospital number) and marked as 'Autologous blood – for this patient only' to prevent transfusion to the wrong patient. This follows the same patient identification principles as allogeneic blood transfusion. The bag should also record the date and time of collection, volume, and be traceable. Wrong patient transfusion remains the most common cause of fatal transfusion reactions (SHOT data). The blood must be reinfused within 6 hours of collection.

Reference: Association of Anaesthetists – 2018 – Cell salvage guidelines; SHOT – 2024 – Annual report