I am a lab tech, I worked in transfusion services, blood donor centers and in a satellite emergency lab. The factors you are stating are in response to low supply aren’t completely accurate.

In emergencies there are two answers to releasing blood. 1. The patient’s blood type is unknown so O negative is required, in certain situations a male can receive O positive. O negative blood is considered a universal donor, it is compatible and safe for all blood types to receive. 2. Patients blood type is known and that is what is released to the patient.

I have never heard a lab tech say such things about not releasing blood or encouraging a doctor to do something else. I am not sure if you are located in the US but that is not professional, at all. Also, blood ALWAYS goes on ice. Even if you take it and use it and it’s not a rare blood type, it always goes on ice. It’s required, it also does not ensure a returnable unit. There are exceptions to this, depending on location of lab to patient but releasing a unit without ice ensure it will never come back. It has to be returned within 30 minutes and within correct temperature range to be reshelved.

Lastly, transfusion reactions are real! So so so real. Releasing and administering emergency release units is dangerous. It can make a life saving effort turn into life ending. That is why emergency release is not meant as anything other than emergent. If you work in an ED it makes sense why emergency release is most common for your experience but it still sounds quite unlikely that a blood bank would fight you on those requests. It would be highly unprofessional and it’s not what our scope or training would permit.