We have 2 Hospitals and are merging into 1 new Hospital in about a year. With that in mind, both locations are starting to consolidate procedures. I received an e-mail from a Nurse at one location today, stating that one of the locations uses the blood warmer for ALL transfusions? I have never heard of that. So my questions are:

1. Do any of you work at Hospitals that do this?

2. Does anyone know of any "adverse" affects to this practice?

Thanks,

Brenda Hutson, CLS(ASCP)SBB

Does the Blood Warmer include an intergal pump? I have worked in 3 places now that OR uses warmer for all IV's including blood.

Ah, that's a good question! I will check into that. So then they are using it not "just" or "necessarily," for the blood warming aspects (although given that it is OR and those rooms are cold; that may very well be routine standard of practice), but also as part of their set-upf or other things?

Brenda

Does the Blood Warmer include an intergal pump? I have worked in 3 places now that OR uses warmer for all IV's including blood.

I think OR usually uses blood warmers. Other areas use infusion pumps but not necessarily blood warmers.

Our massive hemorrhage protocol indicates the use of blood warmers to prevent chill/rigors from rapid infusion.

Our massive hemorrhage protocol indicates the use of blood warmers to prevent chill/rigors from rapid infusion.

How does the blood have a chance to "warmup" through a rapid infusor?

We have 2 Hospitals and are merging into 1 new Hospital in about a year. With that in mind, both locations are starting to consolidate procedures. I received an e-mail from a Nurse at one location today, stating that one of the locations uses the blood warmer for ALL transfusions? I have never heard of that. So my questions are:

1. Do any of you work at Hospitals that do this?

2. Does anyone know of any "adverse" affects to this practice?

Thanks,

Brenda Hutson, CLS(ASCP)SBB

We use blood warmer if cold auto reaction is 2+ and higher at RT reaction. Patient w/ rapid transfusion.

Transfusion in OR.

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We have 2 Hospitals and are merging into 1 new Hospital in about a year. With that in mind, both locations are starting to consolidate procedures. I received an e-mail from a Nurse at one location today, stating that one of the locations uses the blood warmer for ALL transfusions? I have never heard of that. So my questions are:

1. Do any of you work at Hospitals that do this?

2. Does anyone know of any "adverse" affects to this practice?

Thanks,

Brenda Hutson, CLS(ASCP)SBB

We use blood warmer if cold auto reaction is 2+ and higher at RT reaction. Patient w/ rapid transfusion.

Transfusion in OR.

agree with brenda and i have seen that some time patient with the strong DAT like +4 having problem to find compatible XM or i can say on least incompatible transfusion the blood warmer is used for the safe side but as above for cold auto reaction it is used

How does the blood have a chance to "warmup" through a rapid infusor?

That's a really good question. The doctor director of critical care made a point that it should be a part of the protocol so it was added.

Our ORs have rapid infusers that warm the blood called Level ones that we QC for temp.