blood transfusion and first 15 minutes

madore57 · Jan 14, 2014

Yes, that seems to be common these days. Most places only require you to write vitals on the that transfusion form at the beginning and at the end of the transfusion. They don't want you standing there taking vitals q5 for 15 minutes anymore. Having seen a patient die during a blood transfusion from the blood transfusion - and it was horrible - I still tend to keep a close eye on any patient receiving blood.

SL2014 · Jan 15, 2014

Yes. Our facility policy is to remain at the patients side for the first 15 minutes but NO ONE does it. I said something to a girl who has been there 6 years and is part of shared leadership and she looked at me like I was nuts. It also says in our policy to "gently agitate the blood bag" every 30 minutes LOL.... No.

SaraStrong · Jan 15, 2014

Our policy is baseline vitals, q15 vitals and vitals after administration is complete. We don't have to stay with the pt and the pt is not required to be on telemetry.

SaraStrong · Jan 15, 2014

Oh this is on the floor btw, not icu

valsalvamanuever2 · Jan 16, 2014

Thanks for the responses. Our policy states to stay for 15 minutes. (ICU). There is a clause regarding emergent/unit patients (which most of ours are) and changing assessment based on pt. condition, but I find that a hard way to say: "see, you don't have to stay..." If anything, I would think it would lead to more assessment, not less.

Susie2310 · Jan 16, 2014

For those of you who don't stay with the patient during the first 10-15 min, how do you observe the patient for signs of transfusion reaction during that time?

shaynurse53 · Jan 16, 2014

I know that is mind blowing! :eek:

subin · Jan 16, 2014

First 15 mins check every 5 min then check vitals every 15 mins for an hour . Second hour check vitals every 30 min . 3&4 hour check it hourly...

VANurse2010 · Jan 17, 2014

First 15 mins check every 5 min then check vitals every 15 mins for an hour . Second hour check vitals every 30 min . 3&4 hour check it hourly...

Overkill for most patients

amoLucia · Jan 17, 2014

For those of you who don't stay with the patient during the first 10-15 min, how do you observe the patient for signs of transfusion reaction during that time?

Exactly!

And I stay in the room when I start new IV ABT. I saw an acute allergic reax when I was a new GN and I don't want to ever go thru that again.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Jan 20, 2014

Baseline vitals, vitals after the first 15 min, vitals Q1H afterwards and then post-transfusion vitals. Sadly it seems like no one ever stays with the patient during the first 15 min. I always do. I don't care if they're hooked up to a monitor, I could very well get stuck in a different room for over 15 minutes. I feel much better having my own two eyeballs on the patient and besides, that is way I was taught and it's our policy.