all nurses pls help

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need answer: why is heparin held during blood transfusion? heparin drip was infusing to left iv while the blood was started at right iv...would that put patient in critical condition...pls help...scared and confuse lvn

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

What was wrong with the patient? I don't know of any reason to hold heparin during tranfusion, apart from the obvious scenario (pt is bleeding from heparin infusion, it's stopped and blood is tranfused).

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Specializes in med/surg.

I've always stopped other IVfluids, and meds, because we're looking to find out if the patient is going to have a reaction to the blood. Anything else running might make it a little difficult to determine where the problem came from. Also, not as big a concern with Heparin drips which should be just a few ml/hr but with IVFluids you don't really want to put the patient into fluid overload. Depending on your policy a unit of blood should probably run over a minimum of 2 hours to a max of 4. It won't be a problem for most fluids or meds to be held off for that time.

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Specializes in ER/ ICU.

Heparin is compatible w/ blood. No reason I can think of. If in doubt we just stick in a second line.

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.
Heparin is compatible w/ blood. No reason I can think of. If in doubt we just stick in a second line.

At least at my institution the heparin comes premixed in 1/2NS which is a hypotonic fluid and that could have adverse reactions on the blood cells if ran concurrently with the blood.

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I would say the only reason to hold the heparin gtt would be because of bleeding and that is why they are transfusing blood. Need more info....

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Agree w/Pamrn fluid overload is always a big concern. Follow the recommendations of your facility

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