blood transfusion - Page 2

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  1. Dec 30, '12 by
    My best guess is that "leukodepleted" blood is the whole blood minus WBCs.
  2. Dec 30, '12 by
    If meaning irradiated, I know patients with positive antibodies in their blood or patients on chemo may receive irradiated blood.
  3. Dec 30, '12 by
    When it is ordered!!!! What do I win??
    psu_213, SoldierNurse22, and somenurse like this.
  4. Dec 30, '12 by
    Quote from BostonTerrierLoverRN
    When it is ordered!!!! What do I win??
    WINNER! You get a gold star!
    BostonTerrierLoverRN likes this.
  5. Dec 30, '12 by
    SWEET!!!

    (I didn't even prepare a speech)
  6. Dec 31, '12 by
    OK have to answer now

    Leukocyte depleted blood is blood that has the majority of leukocytes removed or reduced. Years ago we used to do this at the bedside with very specialized filters that were difficult to prime now in the US this is usually pre-filtered before release from the Blood Bank. Blood without the leukocytes reduces some of the pesky transfusion associated reactions. It helps prevent HLA alloimmunization,platelet refractoriness,reduction of transmission of CMV virus and febrile non-hemolytic reaction. Many types of patients benefit from removal of the leukocytes such as those with Cancer,kidney disease,the immunocompromised and those at risk for HLA alloimmunization. If your patient has experienced febrile reactions from previous blood transfusions they would benefit from having this type of blood.

    Irradiated Blood products. This is blood that has been exposed to radiation. When blood is irradiated it prevents lymphocytes from replicating. This is used to prevent graft versus host disease (GVHD) in patients such as those with leukemia and non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
  7. Dec 31, '12 by
    Dear iluvivt,
    Thank you for the information. Having been out of touch with blood transfusions and related procedures, that was a great refresher's course. Thanks for sharing. Appreciate it.
    AL.
  8. Dec 31, '12 by
    I distinctly remember "leuko-reduced" being an option to click when placing an order for PRBCs in the computer. In fact, it reminds me of a rather uncomfortable episode....



    In my pre LPN days I was a sort of "Aide/ward clerk" for an oncology floor in a hospital. I did secretary work and hands on care aide duties. I was hired in as a high school grad with zero healthcare experience. I got a week orientation. And after that, one of my job duties was to enter Phys orders into the computer. A frequent order was PRBCs. A doctor ordered 2 units PRBCs on a leukemia pt. He didn't write leuko-reduced or irradiated. So I didn't click on those boxes. After the pt received the transfusion I got screamed at for "ordering wrong". I was told I should have known. Huh? I wasn't a nurse, had never taken anything beyond HS biology. I didn't even really understand what leukemia was, beyond a "blood cancer". Hospitals put uneducated, unlicensed people in positions were they have way too much responsibility just to save a buck....
  9. Dec 31, '12 by
    Hi Brandon, Thank you for sharing that nightmarish experience. I am just amazed that a nurse was not required to sign-off on that data-entry made by you in order to authenticate the order. That was the system's failure, not yours. In every hospital that I have worked (which are not too many), orders entered by a unit clerk must be acknowledged by a RN before a phlebotomist is dispatched from the lab.
  10. Jan 1 by
    I have not ever NOT given leuko reduced rbcs.....its the norm