The nurse is administering blood.What should the nurse do to detect a blood reaction as quickly as possible?
A)Remain with the patient during the first 15 minutes.
B)Transfuse the blood at 10 mL/min.
C)Monitor vital signs q 1 hour.
D)Transfuse blood at 50 gtt/min.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Remain with the patient during the first 15 minutes of a transfusion.Most transfusion reactions occur within the first 15 minutes of a transfusion.The initial flow rate during this time should be 2 mL/min,or 20 gtt/min.Initially infusing a small amount of blood component minimizes the volume of blood to which the patient is exposed,thereby minimizing the severity of a reaction.Monitor the patient's vital signs at 5 minutes,at 15 minutes,and every 30 minutes until 1 hour after transfusion or per agency policy.Frequent monitoring of vital signs will help to quickly alert the nurse to a transfusion reaction.

The Nurse Is Administering Blood