Mr. Singh requires a blood transfusion. Which statement about blood administration is correct?

Mr. Singh requires a blood transfusion. Which statement about blood administration is correct?

• A. The practical nurse stays with the client for the first 5 minutes, as this is when reactions are most likely to occur.
• B. Two registered nurses or a registered nurse and a practical nurse are required to check the client's blood bag, chart, and ID band prior to administration of the blood product.
• C. Vital signs must be checked before and after blood administration and during administration if there are any untoward reactions.
• D. Signs of a febrile reaction are hives, wheezing, pruritus, and joint pain.

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is ensuring patient safety through proper verification before giving blood. Before a transfusion, two qualified health-care professionals must independently confirm that the patient’s identity, the blood bag, and the chart (including the ID band) all match and that the transfusion is appropriate for that patient. This two-person check helps prevent dangerous mistakes like giving the wrong blood to the wrong person or using an mislabeled product. In practice, this means one nurse and another licensed clinician (two RNs or an RN with a PN) review the patient’s details, the blood product label, the crossmatch information, and the patient’s identifiers together before starting the transfusion. This collaborative check is the strongest safeguard in transfusion administration. Vital signs and monitoring are important and are done around the transfusion—baseline before starting, during the initial phase, and after completion—to detect reactions early. However, the most critical safety step is the pretransfusion verification by two licensed staff. Regarding how transfusion reactions present, fever and chills are common signs of a febrile reaction, while hives and pruritus are more typical of an allergic reaction; joint pain is not a hallmark of a febrile transfusion reaction.

The key idea here is ensuring patient safety through proper verification before giving blood. Before a transfusion, two qualified health-care professionals must independently confirm that the patient’s identity, the blood bag, and the chart (including the ID band) all match and that the transfusion is appropriate for that patient. This two-person check helps prevent dangerous mistakes like giving the wrong blood to the wrong person or using an mislabeled product. In practice, this means one nurse and another licensed clinician (two RNs or an RN with a PN) review the patient’s details, the blood product label, the crossmatch information, and the patient’s identifiers together before starting the transfusion. This collaborative check is the strongest safeguard in transfusion administration.

Vital signs and monitoring are important and are done around the transfusion—baseline before starting, during the initial phase, and after completion—to detect reactions early. However, the most critical safety step is the pretransfusion verification by two licensed staff.

Regarding how transfusion reactions present, fever and chills are common signs of a febrile reaction, while hives and pruritus are more typical of an allergic reaction; joint pain is not a hallmark of a febrile transfusion reaction.