Ok, I have this gripe with our blood bank... Whenever you need to go down and get your blood (or FFP/platelets/etc) and request more than one unit at a time, they ask if the units will be administered within 20 minutes. This just baffles me. Our policy states that we cannot return something to bloodbank after 20 minutes of being distributed, but it says nothing about administering it within 20 min.
So has anyone dealt with this before or heard anything about it? Usually if I'm running multiple units of something, I like to get 2 units at a time so I"m not running back and forth a million times. But the people down there says after 20 min bacteria starts to grow... but what about our policy that says we have 4 hours to get something completely administered?
I don't understand this. I'm just peeved with them. You have to practically sell your soul to them to get more than one unit at a time.
Ok, I have this gripe with our blood bank... Whenever you need to go down and get your blood (or FFP/platelets/etc) and request more than one unit at a time, they ask if the units will be administered within 20 minutes. This just baffles me. Our policy states that we cannot return something to bloodbank after 20 minutes of being distributed, but it says nothing about administering it within 20 min.
So has anyone dealt with this before or heard anything about it? Usually if I'm running multiple units of something, I like to get 2 units at a time so I"m not running back and forth a million times. But the people down there says after 20 min bacteria starts to grow... but what about our policy that says we have 4 hours to get something completely administered?
I don't understand this. I'm just peeved with them. You have to practically sell your soul to them to get more than one unit at a time.
As a general rule if you get more than 1 unit at a time it should be in a cooler on an ice pack. A unit of PRBC 's blood takes at least 2-3 hours to infuse (with the only exception being hemmorragic shock which you can then slam it in). If it is FFP you can pretty much slam that in anyway if need be...but I still put the 2nd unit on ice. But...I get 2 units at a time,..with a cooler and ice pack.Does your facility have u using a cooler and ice pack? If not then...that is probably why they have the 20 minute rule .
The cooler and ice packs are usually reserved for our trauma unit. If there were an emergency then we could get it, but it doesn't happen on normal basis
That's what I usually do. But I still have to convince these blood bank people that without a doubt that I would administer BOTH units of FFP within 20 minutes. I spend more time down there convincing than walking there and back.
I just feel that if the blood bank is so strictly enforcing this, then maybe it needs to be added to our hospital's policy.
We don't have to leave the unit to get our blood products. We have them sent through the tube system.
We don't have to leave the unit to get our blood products. We have them sent through the tube system.
Whaaaaa? Every place I've worked there had to be a person to hand over the blood to (be it RN, NA, secretary). I wish we could do that though! It'd make life just a little bit easier!
Whaaaaa? Every place I've worked there had to be a person to hand over the blood to (be it RN, NA, secretary). I wish we could do that though! It'd make life just a little bit easier!
We use our tube system now as well. There is a form that goes along with it that you sign after inspecting the blood you receive, both to make sure the patient information matches, and that the bag is in good shape (no leaks, etc).
Otherwise, your blood bank is right, blood has to be administered (started) within 20 minutes of picking it up. Seems nearly impossible to start a SECOND unit of FFP within that 20 minutes? I don't think I'd believe it, either. All I know for sure is, they can't be stored on the unit until you're ready to use them.
Sorry to bump an old thread but this seems relevant to my needs. I have a multiple choice question I just want to make sure I have the right answer. I'm pretty sure the answer is A but I want to make sure.
You get a unit of blood from the bank and the client is currently in x-ray department. What do you do?
A. Return to blood bank for refrigeration within 30 minutes
B. Hang bag as soon as client returns to unit
C. Store bag in nurses refrigerator until client returns
D. Take unit of blood to X-ray department and initiate the transfusion
Sorry to bump an old thread but this seems relevant to my needs. I have a multiple choice question I just want to make sure I have the right answer. I'm pretty sure the answer is A but I want to make sure.
You get a unit of blood from the bank and the client is currently in x-ray department. What do you do?
A. Return to blood bank for refrigeration within 30 minutes
B. Hang bag as soon as client returns to unit
C. Store bag in nurses refrigerator until client returns
D. Take unit of blood to X-ray department and initiate the transfusion
A: Return the blood to the blood bank.
Its very cumbersome to transfuse blood in the xray department. I would return the blood back to blood bank then pick it up again once the patiet is done with xray.
You should NEVER store blood in the nurses frige and you can't wait for the client to come back because you don't know how long they are going to be.
Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.
Blood Bank says 20 minutes between checkout and hanging. We can only get one unit at a time; doesn't bother me since I can only hang one unit at a time anyway.
That's what I usually do. But I still have to convince these blood bank people that without a doubt that I would administer BOTH units of FFP within 20 minutes. I spend more time down there convincing than walking there and back.
I just feel that if the blood bank is so strictly enforcing this, then maybe it needs to be added to our hospital's policy.
I work in the ER and we have the same argument! I could easily dump 4 U FFP in 30 min and if I'm using the Level 1 I can do the same with PRC's. I have just started telling them yes I will be hanging both units simultaneously and I need them NOW.
A week or so ago I had a lady with an INR of like 38! When I sent the tech for her FFP she called back saying the lab would only let her have one unit,...I had the say argument and assured the blood bank that I would give both NOW,...the answer was that the tech could only pick up one unit,,..for two units I would need to send two techs,..they could each only have one!!!
We must administer within 30 minutes of receiving blood from the blood bank. That is our hospital policy; however, if the unit won't be used right away, we have to return it within 20 minutes. Our blood bank never asks us that question...they just ask us if we've taken pre-transfusion vitals and have a patent IV site with NS @ KVO.
Keysnurse2008
554 Posts
As a general rule if you get more than 1 unit at a time it should be in a cooler on an ice pack. A unit of PRBC 's blood takes at least 2-3 hours to infuse (with the only exception being hemmorragic shock which you can then slam it in). If it is FFP you can pretty much slam that in anyway if need be...but I still put the 2nd unit on ice. But...I get 2 units at a time,..with a cooler and ice pack.Does your facility have u using a cooler and ice pack? If not then...that is probably why they have the 20 minute rule .