Patient Hemorrhage

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What are some early interventions for treating a patient who is hemorrhaging?

What type of IV fluid is best? NS, LR?

I have read that you do not want to give LR with blood products because it can cause them to clot..

This is how I am thinking and I know it depends on the type of hemorrhage. But in general what would be early interventions?

Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

Depends on the situation. Why?

LR is never given in the same line as blood products.

mrsboots87

1,761 Posts

Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

It's not that LR can't be given as a fluid choice until blood arrives, but that the blood tubing cannot be primed or piggy backed with LR. Only NS. I personally have not seen LR used as a first line fluid for hemorage, but I also am barely to a year of experience in nursing.

Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

NS is inferior to LR for resuscitation in blood loss in a prehospital setting in the absence of blood-based volume expanders. That aside, you can't mix LR with blood. They do not play well together.

AliNajaCat

1,035 Posts

You, the nurse, would not be making this decision anyway. That's not to say that you shouldn't know the answer, but still.

Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

Where I've worked, the order reads, "Give 1U PRBCs now" So...

Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

ALL blood products should be given with NS you do not need an order for the NS along with the blood products, as it is a given.

AliNajaCat

1,035 Posts

ALL blood products should be given with NS you do not need an order for the NS along with the blood products, as it is a given.

Not so. While you may have a hospital protocol/policy that says you must use NS to prime and flush the line, you have to have a physician prescription for the amount of fluid to give. There are plenty of people who you can't just throw hundreds of ccs of NS into willy-nilly.

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