ISBT 128 blood labeling: introduction and reference laboratory applications

ISBT 128 will be implemented in the United States during the next two years. In addition to improving unit traceability and lookback tracking, this information technology standard has the power to detect and prevent errors in data entry by using data identifiers and check characters. Additionally, its ability to encode special testing results such as CMV and RBC phenotype on a label provides laboratories a computerized mechanism to verify the accuracy of such labels. Immunohematology2006; 22:30–36.