This document defines blood transfusion and outlines its purposes, situations where it is needed, potential reactions, and nursing interventions. It describes blood transfusion as introducing blood products intravenously to replace lost blood or restore oxygen capacity. Common situations requiring transfusion include surgery, injuries, anemia, or bleeding disorders. The document also classifies different blood products like packed red blood cells, plasma, and platelets, and how they are used.

1. BLOOD
TRANSFUSION
Laud, Katherine L.
BSN – 3A

2. At the end of 30 minutes, the group should
be able to:
• Define Blood Transfusion
• Identify purposes of the procedure
• Cite situations in which blood transfusion is
needed
• Enumerate the different transfusion reactions
with its clinical signs and appropriate nursing
interventions
• Classify and describe the different blood
products and how it is being used

3. BLOOD TRANSFUSION
• It is a procedure in which a patient
receives a blood product through an
intravenous line.
• It is the introduction of blood components
into the venous circulation.
• Process of transferring blood-based
products from one person into the
circulatory system of another.

4. Purposes
• To replace blood lost during surgery or a serious
injury.
• To restore oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
• To provide plasma factors to prevent or treat
bleeding.
• Done if patient’s body is not capable of making
blood properly because of an illness.

5. Typical Situations in which blood
products are given
• Major injuries after an accident or
disaster
• Surgery on an organ such as the liver
and the heart
• Severe Anemia
• Bleeding such as Haemophilia and
Thrombocytopenia

6. BLOOD TYPES
Blood Types and their Compatibility

7. BLOOD TYPES
•Each person has one of the following blood
types: A, B, AB, or O.
•O can be given to anyone but can only
receive O.
• AB can receive any type but can only be
given to AB.
• Also, every person's blood is either
Rh-positive or Rh-negative.

8. BLOOD TYPES
• The blood used in a transfusion must be
compatible with the patient's blood type.
• Type O blood is called the universal donor
• People with type AB blood are called universal
recipients
• People with Rh-positive blood can get Rh-
positive or Rh-negative blood. But people with
Rh-negative blood should get only Rh-
negative blood.

9. BLOOD BANKS
• Blood banks collect, test, and store
blood.
• Autologous transfusion - If surgery
is scheduled months in advance,
patients may be able to donate their
own blood and have it stored.

10. PREPARATION
• Before a blood transfusion, a
technician tests the patient's blood to
find out what blood type they have
(that is, A, B, AB, or O and Rh
positive or Rh negative).
• Some patients may have allergic
reactions even when the blood given
does work with their own blood type.

11. ADMINISTERING BLOOD
• Blood transfusions take place
in either a doctor's office or a
hospital. They can be done at
the patient's home, but this is
less common.

12. ADMINISTERING BLOOD
• A needle is used to insert an intravenous
(IV) line into a blood vessel. Through this
line, the blood is transfused. The
procedure usually takes one to four hours.
The time depends on how much blood is
needed, which blood product is given, and
whether the patient's body can safely
receive blood quickly or not.

13. ADMINISTERING BLOOD
• During the blood transfusion, a
nurse carefully watches the
patient, especially for the first
15 minutes. This is when bad
reactions are most likely to
occur.

14. ADMINISTERING BLOOD
• After a blood transfusion,
vital signs are checked
(such as temperature, blood
pressure, respiration rate,
and heart rate).

15. ADMINISTERING BLOOD
• Follow-up blood
tests may be necessary
to show how the body is
reacting to the
transfusion.

16. TRANSFUSION REACTIONS
NURSING
REACTION:CAUSE CLINICAL SIGNS
INTERVENTIONS
Hemolytic Reaction: Chills, fever, headache, 1. Discontinue the
incompatibility between backache, dyspnea, transfusion immediately.
client’s blood and donor’s cyanosis, chest pain, NOTE: when the
transfusion is
blood tachycardia, hypotension discontinued, use new
tubing for the normal
saline infusion.
2. Notify primary care
provider immediately.
3. Monitor vital signs.
4. Monitor fluid intake and
output.
5. Send the remaining
blood, bag, filter, tubing,
a sample of the client’s
blood, and a urine
sample to the laboratory.

17. TRANSFUSION REACTIONS
NURSING
REACTION:CAUSE CLINICAL SIGNS
INTERVENTIONS
Febrile Reaction: Fever, chills, warm and 1. Discontinue the
sensitivity of the client’s flushed skin, headache, transfusion
blood to white blood anxiety, muscle pain immediately.
cells, platelets, or plasma 2. Give antipyretics as
proteins ordered.
3. Notify the primary
care provider.
4. Keep the vein open
with a normal saline
infusion.

18. TRANSFUSION REACTIONS
NURSING
REACTION:CAUSE CLINICAL SIGNS
INTERVENTIONS
Allergic Reaction (Mild) Flushing, itching, 1. Stop or slow the
urticaria, bronchial transfusion, depending
wheezing on agency protocol.
2. Notify the primary care
provider.
3. Administer
antihistamines as
ordered.
Allergic Reaction Dyspnea, chest pain, 1. Stop the transfusion.
(Severe) circulatory collapse, 2. Keep the vein open with
cardiac arrest a normal saline solution.
3. Notify the primary care
provider immediately.
4. Monitor vital signs.
Administer CPR if
needed.
5. Administer medications
or oxygen as ordered.

19. TRANSFUSION REACTIONS
NURSING
REACTION:CAUSE CLINICAL SIGNS
INTERVENTIONS
Circulatory Overload: Cough, dyspnea, 1. Place the client
blood administered crackles (rales), upright, with feet
faster than the distended neck veins, dependent.
circulation can tachycardia, 2. Stop or slow the
accommodate hypertension transfusion.
3. Notify the primary
care provider.
4. Administer diuretics
or oxygen as
ordered.

20. TRANSFUSION REACTIONS
NURSING
REACTION:CAUSE CLINICAL SIGNS
INTERVENTIONS
Sepsis: contaminated High fever, chills, 1. Stop the transfusion.
blood administered vomiting, diarrhea, 2. Keep the vein open
hypotension with a normal saline
solution infusion.
3. Notify the primary
care provider.
4. Administer IV fluids,
Antibiotics.
5. Obtain a blood
specimen from the
client for culture.
6. Send the remaining
blood and tubing to
the laboratory

21. BLOOD PRODUCTS
• Components of the blood which
are collected from a donor for use
in blood transfusion.

22. BLOOD PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS DESCRIPTION
 Most common type of
blood product for
transfusion
 Used to increase the
oxygen-carrying capacity
A. Packed Red Blood Cells
of blood
(PRBCs)
 Help the body get rid of
carbon dioxide and other
waste products
 1 unit of PRBCs = raises
hematocrit by 2-3%

23. BLOOD PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS DESCRIPTION
 Plasma is the liquid
component of blood; it has
proteins called clotting
factors
 Expands blood volume
B. Fresh Frozen Plasma
and provides clotting
(FFP)
factors
 Contains no RBCs
 1 unit of FFP = increases
level of any clotting factor
by 2-3%

24. BLOOD PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS DESCRIPTION
 Also known as
thrombocytes
 Tiny cell structures
necessary in blood clotting
process
 Replaces platelets in
C. Platelets clients with bleeding
disorders, or platelet
deficiency
 1 unit = increases the
average adult client’s
platelet count by about
5,000 platelets/microliter

25. BLOOD PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS DESCRIPTION
 Not commonly used
except for extreme cases
D. Whole Blood of acute hemorrhage
 Replaces blood volume
and all blood products
 Used for blood
replacement following
E. Autologous Red Blood
planned elective surgery
Cells
 Must be donated 4-5
weeks prior to surgery

26. BLOOD PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS DESCRIPTION
F. Albumin and Plasma  Blood volume expander
Protein Fraction  Provides plasma protein
 A portion of plasma
containing certain specific
G. Clotting Factors and clotting factors
Cryoprecipitate  Used for clients with
clotting factor deficiencies
 Contains Fibrinogen

27. REFERENCE:
• Kozier, et al. Fundamentals of Nursing Concepts,
Process, and Practice. Ed 8. Vol 2
• http://wiki.medpedia.com/Blood_Transfusion - August 2,
2010
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