A question re: Albumin Transfusion

Specialties NICU

Published

Hi there! I haven't been on here in ages...been busy! Anyways I wanted to pose this question to you. Does your hospital require the use of a filter during Albumin transfusion? Our hospital policy is vague when it comes to Albumin. In general it states all blood products should be filtered, but it doesn't list Albumin when discussing the specific blood products. From my understanding the policy of whether to use a filter differs by hospital. The drug company recommendations also differ. I get so many mixed responses on this issue on my unit. I just wondered what your hospitals require.

mweaverrn :uhoh3:

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Hi there! I haven't been on here in ages...been busy! Anyways I wanted to pose this question to you. Does your hospital require the use of a filter during Albumin transfusion? Our hospital policy is vague when it comes to Albumin. In general it states all blood products should be filtered, but it doesn't list Albumin when discussing the specific blood products. From my understanding the policy of whether to use a filter differs by hospital. The drug company recommendations also differ. I get so many mixed responses on this issue on my unit. I just wondered what your hospitals require.

mweaverrn :uhoh3:

Albumin does not require a either a leucodepletion or microaggregate filter.

Mike

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Specializes in NICU.

We always filter albumin in our NICU.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

We draw it up thru the filter needle or set that is provided with the albumin.

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We dont use any filters for albumin.

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We draw it up with a filtered needle, but infuse it through regular microbore tubing.

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We filter ours. In fact, we just started to use new filters. The old ones would get clogged all the time. Kinda made me wonder what would happen if we didn't filter! :uhoh21:

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Specializes in NICU.

We use the filter that comes in the box of albumin - it's like IV tubing with a filter already on it, and we put a stopcock on the end of it so we can draw the solution through the tubing.

We use the thicker tubing for infusion - not the microbore but the "anesthesia" tubing that we use for blood transfusions.

Once in a great while we'll have a kid on a 24-hour 5% albumin drip, and with that we use our regular IV tubing and filter. We usually use the 25% though, given over 20-60 minutes, and for this we need to use the albumin filter, as our IV ones clog up from that stuff.

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All of our blood products come prefiltered - we use the regular sized (not micro) extension tubing and never use a separate filter. Interesting...

Rainbows

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When we draw up the albumin it gets filtered via special tubing that comes up with the albumin from pharmacy.

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all of our blood products are ordered to be pre-filtered :rolleyes:

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Specializes in NICU.

Our albumin comes from pharmacy "ready to use". So I am not sure. :uhoh21:

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