NAC449.373. Laboratory services; pathology services; blood and blood products.

     1. Each hospital shall maintain or have available adequate laboratory services to meet the needs of its patients and medical staff. Each hospital shall ensure that all laboratory services provided to its patients are provided by a medical laboratory licensed pursuant to chapter 652 of NRS.

     2. Laboratory services must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

     3. While a patient is under the care of a hospital, all laboratory testing must be performed:

     (a) In the laboratories of the hospital;

     (b) By a reference laboratory that is certified pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 263a; or

     (c) In accordance with NRS 652.217.

     4. The director of a laboratory that provides laboratory services to a hospital shall establish procedures to ensure that patients who have been transfused with blood or blood products which have tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus are promptly notified of that fact.

     5. Each laboratory which provides laboratory services to a hospital shall provide for the proper receipt and reporting of tissue specimens. All reports of tissue specimens must be signed by a pathologist. The medical staff of the hospital and a pathologist shall determine which tissue specimens require a macroscopic (gross) examination and which require both macroscopic and microscopic examinations.

     6. If provided in a hospital, pathology services must be under the supervision of a pathologist in a full-time, regular part-time or regular consultative basis and he or she shall participate in staff, departmental and clinicopathologic conferences.

     7. Facilities for the procurement, safekeeping and transfusion of blood and blood products must be provided in each hospital, or readily available, with adequate control and supervision by an authorized physician. The refrigerator for the storage of blood must have an adequate recording thermograph and temperature alarm system, must be regularly inspected and must be otherwise safe and adequate to prevent the deterioration of the blood and blood products.

     8. If the hospital depends on outside blood banks, there must be an agreement governing the procurement, transfer and availability of blood which is reviewed and approved by the medical staff, administration and governing body. Provision must be made for prompt blood typing, cross-matching and investigation of transfusion reactions. A committee of the medical staff, or its equivalent, shall review all transfusions of blood or blood derivatives, and blood or blood derivative reactions, occurring in the hospital and make recommendations concerning policies governing these practices.

     [Bd. of Health, Health Facilities Reg. Part III Ch. I § VIII, eff. 10-9-69]—(NAC A 10-22-93; R050-99, 9-27-99)