Question about FFP transfusion

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I am a new RN. I have been working in a PCU for 3 months now. I had a pt. the other day who needed a FFP transfusion and I wasn't sure if I needed blood tubing or regular IV tubing for the transfusion. I asked the charge nurse who is an experienced (20+ years) nurse and she said to use regular IV tubing piggy backed into normal saline primed tubing and to run it in without a pump at a fast rate. Then another experienced nurse was administering FFPs in the room next door and she was using blood tubing without normal saline and running it through a pump at 100ml/hour. I am confused. I went to our hospital policy and procedures and all that is mentioned is whole rbc's and platelets, nothing about fresh frozen plasma. I have also looked in my nursing books from school and nothing seems to answer my question. Therefore, I am turning to allnurses.com to see what you guys have to say. How do you infuse fresh frozen plasma?

Thank you in advance for your responses.

I work adults so that might matter to the original poster. I don't know the abreviation of the floor name they were using. I use blood tubing. Our pumps can't do blood. I flush the line with normal saline. Open the line up(if the pt. can handle it). Depends on lungs and heart at the time. Then flush again with NS. Usually the worst pt. is about an hour, but usually 30 minutes max. I hope this helps. It was good that you asked the people on the floor. Also like someone else suggested call the lab. Thoes people are awsome. I have never had a problem that they didn't know or couldn't explain in terms that I could understand. Good luck in your adventures in blood administeration!

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I have always used blood tubing as well.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Blood tubing, and run it as fast as it will go...

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Specializes in Progressive Care.

I would like to thank all of you for your responses. I noticed that someone was unsure what a PCU is, it is a progressive care unit. From the postings, clearly blood tubing is the way to go. I wonder why some nurses use regular IV tubing to infuse fresh frozen plasma.

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Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.
I believe that the rationale for using blood tubing, is that blood tubing has a filter, and regular IV tubing does not. I am open to suggestion on this issue. I believe that we always use blood tubing in the ICU.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

We always used blood tubing because of the filter.

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Is it the same rate for adults?

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Absolutely you need blood tubing for FFP. Yes it is the filter that is needed....it is usually a standard 170 micron filter This filter size will trap particles and cellular debris that are 170 microns are larger. You may need to use a microaggregate filter 920-140 microns) if you need to remove microaggregates which are degenerating platelets and and fibrin stands. these are often used for a high number of blood transfusions are needed and the blood is greater than 5 days old.

Check your blood administration policy or go to your blood bank and ask to see a copy of the current AABB technical manual. share what you find with your co-workers.

FFP...... yes..... it is plasma..... but by freezing it the labile factors of V and VIII and fibrinogen are spared as well as the other factors.

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

I use the tubing that comes with the FFP. Blood bank gives us the tubing that is to be used for FFP transfusions (it's similar to but not the same as blood tubing). Pressure bag it into the patient...goes in about 20 mins. You're going to get similar answers, but not the same, from people on here since every hospital does things slightly differently.

This is something that you can ask your educator if there isn't a consistent answer on your floor.

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