Can you run a blood transfusion & IV albumin at the same time?

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Nov 17, 2005

Hi everyone. I'm a new grad RN & I was wondering if it is legal to run a blood transfusion & albumin at the same time. These were both ordered for my patient last night (& he had two IVs in by the way) & when I was telling the oncoming nurse during report that I was running both at the same time in different IVs she looked at me funny & said "Oh, I didn't know you could do that." Well of course I thought I'd come here and ask you guys for your thoughts! :) Thanks.
-Christine

Why not. They are both colloid - the albumin is probably superfluous at that point - I would have maybe chosen to give the albumin a few hours down the road. (resched the timing).

But, as long as there is no fluid overload problem, they aren't incompatible. And while each is colloid, they are probably being given for different reasons (blood as volume and/or cell replacement, albumin probably to encourage intravascular osmotics - help return extravascular edema into vascular circulation). I would have spaced them out because the blood is going to perform the same function as the albumin - and by giving it a little further down the line, it would extend the actions of the albumin components of both products.

If that makes sense.

Mind you, packed cells are spun down so much that it isn't exactly true to say that giving blood is the same as giving albumin. You probably had 2 different orders given at 2 different times that were overlapping - that's why I'd of resched the albumin. It would also help prevent overload - surely a potential problem in this pt and especially if you're giving the albumin in volume (i.e. plaminate).

~faith,

Timothy.