Laboratory Proficiency in Blood Banking: The Variability of Blood Bank Reagents for Blood Typing

A statistical analysis of the 1970 College of American Pathologists Comprehensive Blood Bank Survey was made to determine if variability of blood bank reagents may affect the testing of laboratory proficiency in blood banking. Antisera marketed by 5 manufacturers were used sufficiently widely for satisfactory statistical comparisons. Discordant results were noted among manufacturers of sera used to detect A(1)-positive, A-positive, rh' (C)-positive, rh' (C)-negative, hr' (c)-positive and hr" (e)-positive. This indicates an undesirable variability of some batches of blood bank reagents.