hanging blood with the wrong fluids

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last night was a crazy night on a busy med-surg floor. i work 2nd shift and hung a unit of blood half an hour before my shift ended. they called me today to inform me that i hung the blood with the pt's ordered fluids of d51/2nss. i realize that this is an error as blood is only to be hung with nss. i am curious how serious of an error it is though. i hung the blood at 10:30pm, and the next shift came on at 11pm. the blood completed infusion at 1:30am the next morning. i am hoping they noticed and switched it to nss before the blood completed infusion. any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the support and encouragement from those of you who acknowledge that EVERYONE makes mistakes, especially when you are new to the profession. For all the negative nurses, you are what drives the newer nurses out of the field!

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i am a student nurse and although i dont really have any advice as i know nothing-yet; i must say: OP, you wrote: For all the negative nurses, you are what drives the newer nurses out of the field! i didnt really see any negativity at all. it was quite the opposite in fact, i think everyone was supportive and helpful. i even gained some tips for when i do enter the field-as im still a student. but you know this a disccussion board and everyone is entitled to their opinions and feelings and if you only want to read what is fitting then what good is it to post on forums? just my opinion. i'm glad that you posted as i learned a great deal from your topic; and i wish you the very best of luck in the field- i think you will make a great nurse!

rote-

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Not an uncommon thing with DIC!:rolleyes:

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You do run alone as is with NS hung to infuse after unit is completed and flush the line. They do not run consequetively.

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i am a student nurse and although i dont really have any advice as i know nothing-yet; i must say: op, you wrote: for all the negative nurses, you are what drives the newer nurses out of the field! i didnt really see any negativity at all.

that was not the op. it was different poster.

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i am also researching about the effect of lactated ringer's in blood transfusion and according to my reading, the calcium in the solution and the citrate in the preserved blood react forming clots. however, there were studies done recommending the use of LRS in blood transfusion because the likelihood of clotting is low; and there is no significant difference between the use of normal saline with BT and LRS with BT. but, the guidelines established for Blood transfusion stay with using normal saline during blood transfusion.

hope this helps =)

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Number one: READ THE company policies! ;) Glad the patient is okay and you learned an important lesson. And to those who are being judgmental.....you arent perfect either. Everyone makes mistakes!!

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Like many folks, I use google search to quickly browse for information- and this popped up on a recent search of mine. Although one would certainly receive institutional rebuff for hanging prbc's with an unapproved fluid at your workplace, D51/2NS is perfectly safe to hang blood with. Source: Millers Anesthesia 7th edition p. 1759. So yeah, be very aware of what you put into your patients veins, but this scenario doesn't actually cause doom and gloom.

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Hanging blood with dextrose was my big med error that I made a few months after graduation. I didn't read the policy and procedure manual either, I thought I had the rationale worked out.

Not to make light of it, but we all survived.

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Glad it turned out ok. Scary tho, i'm sure.

I always use a 500 bag with blood, one less opportunity to mess up.

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As long as the D5.5NS wasn't mixed into the blood bag or was running concurrently with the blood, it's a mistake, but it's no big deal. There wouldn't be enough interface for significant lysis or cell clumping to occur.

I'm sure you'll be more careful in the future... stuff happens.

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What would be the cause of death if D5W and blood were given together? 

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