We very rarely transfuse neonates (like 3 times in the last 4 years).  Because of the rarity, we no longer stock a quad unit.  We have gotten approval to give the baby the freshest O= on the shelf until the quad unit can get here from the blood center.  Here is my question for others like us.  When you get an emergency request for blood for a neonate, do you take the time to aliquot for the nursery or do you issue the entire unit and let the nursery physicians aliquot what they need?

I've seen have aliquoted units on hand ready to go that are replenished when needed/expiration.

Firstly, there's an emergency release prep bag with a pre-filled out emergency issue slip with irradiated units that just need a pt identifier slapped on it before send out.

Secondly, there's also other aliquots that can be irradiated and issued per need.

We give them the entire unit.  Haven't transfused rbcs to an infant here in over 20 yrs.  One dose of plasma.

We transfuse neonates all the time. If it is emergent as in the baby has just been born or being born we send a less than 5 day old  O neg irradiated red cell(always on hand) in a cooler under wet ice, with a filter syringe and a high risk form for the doctor to sign(at some  point).  

 We very rarely transfuse neonates and when we do it is emergent.  We give the entire unit of O neg for babies and they transfuse what is needed  .  We also do not label products and do not have an ISBT printer. 

On ‎7‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 7:28 AM, David Saikin said:

We give them the entire unit.  Haven't transfused rbcs to an infant here in over 20 yrs.  One dose of plasma.

Same here, entire unit...except well over 30 years.