blood transfusion

[VAJenny]

alright well I know it has been standard practice to prime the blood tubing with saline...i was always told that you have to fill the saline past the mesh filter in the chamber because if not, the rbc's are ruined my the mesh filter....is this correct?.....what is the rationale behind "having" to fill the saline up past the mesh filter??

[swirlygirl]

I have also been taught to fill the saline past the mesh. But the hospital I work in recently got new IV pumps and we have new tubing for blood that has a large drip chamber but no mesh in it. I haven't had to use it yet, though.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

Don't the RBCs go through the filter regardless? :confused:

[VAJenny]

yea they do go through the filter anyways...so that is why i am curious to figure out the rationale behind this...

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

I'm confused. Don't you want to prime the entire tubing anyway? So that would involve the filter.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

I work on an Onc floor and do blood pretty often. I usually prime a little bit over the screen b/c it cuts way down on air bubbles, but I really doubt the mesh damages the cells.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

What I was taught is that when the RBCs drip onto the filter, colliding with the hard surface is what damages them. So priming with NS past the filter gives the RBCs a softer surface to land on when they drip, thus preventing damage to the RBCs.

[ICU_JOSIE, MSN, RN]

I think that would be the most likely explanation Virgo_RN. :)

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

That is it guys!!!! It gives the cells a softer landing. A standard blood filter size is a 170 micron. That refers to the size of the particles it will trap. You want it to go through that filter to catch all of that cellular debris. So no the filter will not damage the blood unless used improperly. It rather protects the patient

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Do I get a gold star?

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Yes I would say you do get a gold star.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

YES you do get a GOLD STAR and a bow:bow:!!!!!