A treatment that involves receiving blood products (red cells, white cells, platelets, clotting factors, plasma, or whole blood) through a vein. The blood components may come from an unrelated donor, from a related donor, or may have been banked in advance by the recipient.
You will have a blood test to determine your specific blood type, so that the donor blood can be carefully matched. You'll also be given a physical exam, and your baseline vital signs will be recorded. These include temperature, heart [12] rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Often times, you may be given Tylenol and Benadryl before you receive a transfusion. Although blood is carefully matched before it is given, sometimes there are minor incompatibilities between donor and host blood and these drugs will help reduce a minor allergic reaction.
An IV will be set-up, with bag of blood product. If possible, the IV needle is placed in your hand or arm.
There is no anesthesia for this procedure.
A needle is placed in one of your veins. A bag containing the blood product is hung on a pole nearby, and its contents are dripped slowly, intravenously (through the vein) into your bloodstream.
Common IV Placement
© 2008 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc.
Throughout the transfusion, your temperature, heart [12] rate, breathing, and blood pressure are checked regularly, and you are questioned about pain [13], itching, or discomfort of any sort. This monitoring is most careful during the first 15 minutes of the transfusion, since most reactions occur early in a blood transfusion.
Once the bag containing the blood product is empty, the needle in your arm is removed.
Your vital signs, including temperature, heart [12] rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure, will be monitored. Your physician will give you specific instructions based on the condition for which you received the blood transfusion. In some cases, you may need to take a diuretic (medication that reduces swelling and fluid retention) either after the infusion or between units of blood (if applicable).
The blood transfusion will take about 2 to 4 hours.
Having the intravenous needle placed is mildly painful; once it is in place, it should not cause pain [13].
Allergic reactions or reactions due to mismatching blood types can occur. Symptoms include:
Although careful testing has greatly decreased the incidence, certain infections can be transmitted in blood transfusions. These include:
There is no hospital stay for blood transfusions.
Blood tests may be done to determine the efficacy of the transfusion. Based on your medical [19] condition, your doctor will give you specific suggestions regarding what activities you may resume after blood transfusion.
Your blood count, a measurement of the specific blood component(s) you received during the transfusion, should improve.
RESOURCES:
American Association of Blood Banks
http://www.aabb.org [20]
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov [21]
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Mt. Sinai Hospital Toronto
http://www.mtsinai.on.ca/Surgery/BloodTranfusion/default.htm [22]
Public Health Agency of Canada
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hcai-iamss/tti-it/risks_e.html [23]
References:
Conn's Current Therapy 2007 . WB Saunders Co; 2007.
Hladik et al. Transmission of human herpesvirus 8 by blood transfusion. N Engl J Med . 2006 Sep 28;355(13):1331-1338.
Merck Manual of Medical Information, Home Edition. . 2nd ed. Merck and Co; 2004.
Posthouwer D. The natural history of childhood-acquired hepatitis C infection in patients with inherited bleeding disorders. Transfusion . 2006;46(8):1360-1366.
Last reviewed November 2007 by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD [24]
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical [19] advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health [25] provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical [19] condition.
Copyright © 2007 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.
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