- Baseline observations, taken within the 60 minutes before the start of the transfusion: check temperature, pulse, respiration rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation level.
- Remain in the room or in immediate proximity for the first 15 minutes of the commencement of each unit
- The patient must be able to contact nursing staff at all times, if this is not possible, e.g patient has decreased level of consciousness, then the person responsible for administration must assess patient every 30 minutes during blood administration for any signs of adverse reaction.
- After each unit: Record pulse, blood pressure, respiration rate, temperature, oxygen saturation level and visual observation of the patient's appearance and condition.
- Continue to assess and monitor the patient for signs and symptoms of a delayed transfusion reaction for 1 hour after the transfusion.
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Rate of Infusion and Precautions
- All Blood components (except Platelets and Cryoprecipitate)
should be infused within four hours. If the transfusion of the
component cannot be started immediately, return it to the blood
bank for appropriate storage.
- In the routine setting (i.e. a stable patient), transfuse each unit slowly (up to 50mL/hour) for the first 15 minutes and observe the patient for any adverse reaction. Only increase the rate to the prescribed rate after 15 minutes.
- Never store blood components in the standard ward
refrigerator.
- Paediatric patients should always have doses prescribed in mL, not units. If the prescription is in units, check the volume required in mL, as units vary in volume and there are different types of units (neonatal and adult).
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