Blood Transfusion Consent

Remember the "10/30" rule?

Tips on what to cover when obtaining consent:

1) Discuss Risks:
           HIV   1:2,000,000
           HBV  1:300,000
           HCV  1:2,000,000
          HTLV 1:2,000,000

2) Type and cross to prevent complications such as acute immune hemolytic reaction.

3) Some patients may experience a fever/chills and dyspnea. Most times it is a benign cause, but it is something we monitor (fever, non-hemolytic transfusion reaction).
Tx: stop transfusion, saline bolus, maybe ASA.

4) Transfusion Reaction: this can range from hemolysis, anaphylaxis, transient hypotension, fever, acute lung injury. It can also take up to 24 hours for reactions to present themselves.

References:

Kleinman, S, & Carson, JL. Indications for rec cell transfusion in the adult. In: UpToDate, Basow, DS (Ed), UpToDate,Waltham, MA, 2012.