ASCP SBB study guide
ASCP SBB · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ASCP Board of Certification Specialist in Blood Bank (SBB) credential is an advanced certification for laboratory professionals who work at, or aspire to work at, reference-laboratory level in immunohematology and transfusion medicine. Candidates are typically medical laboratory scientists with several years of blood bank experience, technicians in donor centers and hospital transfusion services, and others preparing for supervisory, technical-specialist, or education roles. The ASCP SBB study guide has 5 sections and about 2,205 words.
01Immunohematology Theory and Serology
Questions here test whether you can separate what the antibody is from what the phase says . Know ABO genetics (H, A, B, Se alleles), Landsteiner's rule, and the immunoglobulin correlates: ABO antibodies are IgM, naturally occurring, and react at room temperature (immediate spin, reverse grouping), whereas immune alloantibodies (Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, MNS) are IgG and need 37 °C/AHG or a gel column to demonstrate.
324 words, about 2 min02Blood Donation, Collection and Component Processing
Memorize the numbers: hemoglobin/hematocrit ≥12.5 g/dL (38%) for females and ≥13.0 g/dL (39%) for males; minimum weight 50 kg (110 lb); age generally ≥16–17 with consent; 8-week interval after whole blood donation (16 weeks after double-RBC apheresis); oral temperature ≤37.5 °C, pulse 50–100, systolic ≤180 mmHg, diastolic ≤100 mmHg. Arm preparation with chlorhexidine or iodine plus a diversion pouch reduces bacterial contamination, the leading infectious risk of transfusion.
310 words, about 2 min03Transfusion Practice and Patient Blood Management
Restrictive practice dominates current guidance: hemoglobin 7 g/dL for most stable hospitalized adults, 7–8 g/dL for cardiac and orthopedic surgery, and about 8 g/dL for acute myocardial infarction or symptomatic coronary disease. Stable, non-bleeding adults receive single-unit RBC transfusions with reassessment, not two-unit 'top-ups.' Plasma is dosed 10–15 mL/kg for coagulopathic bleeding or before an invasive procedure; it is not a volume expander.
323 words, about 2 min04Quality Management, Regulatory and Safety Systems
Quality control is the technical check on a product or test: running controls, calibrating instruments, and verifying reagent antisera daily against known cells. Quality assurance is the larger system - SOPs, document control, audits, occurrence reporting, competency assessment, proficiency testing, equipment maintenance and process improvement.
626 words, about 3 min05Molecular Testing, Cellular Therapy and Advanced Applications
Platforms include real-time PCR, multiplex PCR, transcription-mediated amplification, Sanger sequencing, next-generation sequencing, microarray and digital PCR. In donor screening, nucleic acid testing shrinks the window period for HIV, HCV, HBV, WNV and other agents, using minipools or individual-donation testing.
622 words, about 3 min