How many of you provide discharge instructions to all of your transfused inpatients regarding transfusion related symptoms to watch for?

We currently send up a discharge instruction sheet with the first transfusion of every admission. It tells patients the symptoms that might suggest a transfusion reaction and to watch for them over the next 2 weeks. It also says to notify their doctor if they develop jaundice over the next 6 months. I am not sure whether they get lost as the patient gets transferred around. Is it usual for inpatients to get blood product post care instructions?

We currently only do this for outpatients.

We currently only do this for outpatients.

Ditto for us.

Post transfusion instructions and information are provided to all patients here.

We do this only for outpatients.

only for outpatient. If patient is getting discharged before 6 hrs from the time of completion of transfusion, we give same outpatient discharge instruction.

I believe we have something for inpatient for delayed---this is part of their dicharge packet.

I just moved to all patients. You do not know when they will discharge the inpatients.

We don't do this at all. Very good idea. Is this a requirement for TJC or State of CA? Or some other agency? Or just good practice? I want to implement this... just need justification for those above.

CAP

TRM41475 For patients receiving transfusions that will not be observed by medical personnel post-transfusion, instructions are provided to the patient regarding adverse reactions to transfusion.

For those of you that do this for inpatients, does the paper originate in Blood Bank and go up with a unit?

It is a Nursing unit item.

For both the inpatient and outpatient setting the nursing group provides the instructions and education.

The CAP requirement came from TJC recommendation that the transfusion guidelines should be given to all recipients (inpatient and outpatient) due to the fact that all of us are trying to reduce length of stay so most inpatients need the guidelines as well. Our transfusion guidelines are signed along with the consent for transfusion and then are put into the discharge packet so the patient will take them home for reference.