Best Practice Alerts for Transfusion Reactions

[jshafer]

Good Morning,

           I am working on creating some best practice alerts that will appear for patients that have a past history of transfusion reactions. This will appear when providers order additional blood products for these patients. Would anyone be willing to share any that they are currently using?

Thank you.

[SbbPerson ★]

We just indicate in the test result , that the patient has history of of transfusion reaction. We are don't alert anyone because of course we are not physically present with the patient during transfusion.  All our providers are very well versed on what to look out for during a transfusion, i.e. hives, chills, rash, fever, etc..

[Mabel Adams]

I don't know of data suggesting that patients are particularly likely to have repeat reactions, but I don't read everything.   Would you include everyone for whom you did a reaction workup or only those interpreted to be a true transfusion reaction? I would hope that hemolytic reactions seldom recur!  I think FNHTR and allergic reactions are the most common (after "probably unrelated to transfusion").  FNHTR aren't usually severe, although they do cause additional workups and stopped units.  Allergic reactions are safely treated after symptoms start.  Even anaphylaxis is treatable, and RNs are well versed in managing it. There used to be a significant movement to reduce overuse of pre-treatment for transfusions and it seems like flagging patients would make it more likely that they would be pre-treated.  Please educate me if I have missed some information.

[MAGNUM]

As part of result, we indicate whether the patient has ever had a reaction that we know of.