one of my co-workers says that it was not appropriate to prime blood tubing with a 250 NS bag, instead she took two 100 ml bags of NS, spiked and primed each side of the Y-tubing.
Now I understand that you would not want to overload an ESRD/CHF patient with fluids, but if the patient (any patient) was to have a reaction to the blood you would NOT take the same blood tubing and flush the line anyway becuase you do not want to flush the additional blood in the line into the patient as to NOT further the reaction, wouldn't you spike a seperate bag of NS to flow into the patient?
Does it matter what size NS bag you choose to initially prime the tubing with?
I don't know what you mean by that. There is one way to administer blood: per protocol. I don't care if you can do it standing on your head, the only thing I want is per protocol.
And if you DO do it standing on your head, then keep it to yourself.
The question was about priming tubing. Not administering blood.
If you just read the posts there are several different descriptions and rationales on how
to prime blood tubing. 100 ml bag, 250 bag, 1,000 ml bag. The nurse in the original post
was priming both sides with NS. Makes no sense, but technically not wrong.
I prime the tubing with 250 ml NS take it to the room. Start it, then go get the blood. Makes spiking that blood bag quicker.
Some nurses where I work take EVERYTHING at once to the bedside. Prime the tubing and spike the blood bag at the bedside all at once. Not as efficient for me. But neither one of us is wrong.
Hence....more than one way to skin a cat.
Can you really stand on your head? I thought standing required feet.
imintrouble, BSN, RN
2,406 Posts
The question was about priming tubing. Not administering blood.
If you just read the posts there are several different descriptions and rationales on how
to prime blood tubing. 100 ml bag, 250 bag, 1,000 ml bag. The nurse in the original post
was priming both sides with NS. Makes no sense, but technically not wrong.
I prime the tubing with 250 ml NS take it to the room. Start it, then go get the blood. Makes spiking that blood bag quicker.
Some nurses where I work take EVERYTHING at once to the bedside. Prime the tubing and spike the blood bag at the bedside all at once. Not as efficient for me. But neither one of us is wrong.
Hence....more than one way to skin a cat.
Can you really stand on your head? I thought standing required feet.