HL7 BLC Blood Code
HL7 field reference BLC fields from HL7 v2.5.1 Show fields
BLC links blood-related billing information to a blood product workflow, so charges and product handling do not drift apart.
The standard describes BLC this way: The BLC segment contains data necessary to communicate patient abstract blood information used for billing and reimbursement purposes. This segment is repeating to report blood product codes and the associated blood units.
Blood product segments are about tightly controlled inventory and patient-safety workflow. The same unit may be ordered, prepared, dispensed, transfused, returned, wasted, or otherwise dispositioned.
Keep product identifiers, unit numbers, status, timing, and responsible staff precise. A receiver should never have to guess whether a field describes the requested product, the issued product, or what actually happened to it.
The v2.5.1 structures show BLC in BAR_P05 - Update account. That tells you where it can appear, but the implementation guide still decides which optional fields are meaningful.
For practical interface work, read the generated field panel for datatype, required, repeatable, and table details, then use the notes below to decide what the field should mean in the receiving workflow.
BLC-1 identifies the Blood Product Code for this blood product workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0426; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.
BLC-2 carries a measured, counted, priced, or dosed value. A number without the expected unit, currency, or companion qualifier is much easier to misread than an empty field.