Revision - Blood Products & Head Injuries Flashcards
What does a Group and Save involve?
This determines the patient’s blood group (ABO and RhD) and screens the blood for any atypical antibodies.
No blood is issued.
When is a G&S recommended?
If blood loss is not anticipated, but blood may be required should there be greater blood loss than expected.
What is a X-match involve?
Involves physically mixing the patient’s blood with the donor’s blood, in order to see if any immune reaction takes places.
Blood is issued.
What must be done first, XM or G&S?
G&S
When is a XM done?
If blood loss is anticipated
What stages are involved in requesting blood products?
1) Using 3 points of patient identification e.g. name, DOB, and patient number.
2) Consent the patient appropriately.
3) Labeling the bottle at the bedside.
4) Completing the transfusion request form at the bedside.
What is irradiated blood?
Blood that has been treated with radiation to prevent Transfusion-Associated Graft-versus-Host Disease (TA-GvHD).
What disease do irradiated blood products reduce the risk of?
graft-versus-host-disease in at risk populations
What is graft vs host disease (GVHD)?
A multi-system complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
Less frequently, it may also occur following solid organ transplantation or transfusion in immunocompromised patients.
What happens in GVHD?
T cells in the donor tissue (the graft) mount an immune response towards recipient (host) cells.
NOT to be confused with transfusion rejection (in which recipient immune cells activate an immune response toward the donor tissue).
What criteria is used in diagnosis of GVHD?
Billingham criteria
What 3 conditions are required for the diagnosis of GVHD?
1) The transplanted tissue contains immunologically functioning cells
2) The recipient and donor are immunologically different
3) The recipient is immunocompromised
What can be given as prophylaxis to reduce risk of GVHD?
Calcineurin inhibitors
Which populations should receive irradiated blood?
1) Those receiving blood from first or second-degree family members
2) Patients with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
3) Recent haematpoietic stem cell(HSC) transplants
4) After Anti-Thymocyte Globulin (ATG) or Alemtuzumab therapy
5) Those receiving purine analogues (e.g. fludarabine) as chemotherapy
6) Intra-uterine transfusions
How should blood products be prescribed if a patient requires more than one unit of blood?
Each unit should be prescribed individually
Whilst the patient is receiving the blood transfusion, how often should observations be carried out?
1) before transfusion starts
2) 15-20 minutes after it has started
3) at 1 hour
4) at completion
Indications for transfusion of packed red cells?
1) acute blood loss
2) symptomatic anaemia
3) chronic anaemia where the Hb ≤70g/L (or ≤100g/L in those with CVD)
Over what period should packed red cells be administered?
2-4h
How soon after coming out of the store should packed red cells be administered?
within 4 hours
1 unit of blood should increase a patient’s haemoglobin by how much?
Approx 10g/L
What is the major constituent of fresh frozen plasma (FFP)?
Clotting factors (also albumin & immunoglobulin)
Give some indications for FFP
1) DIC
2) Any haemorrhage 2ary to liver disease
3) All massive haemorrhages (typically given after the 2nd unit of packed red cells)
Over what time period is FFP typically administered?
30 mins
What are the major constituents in cryoprecipitate?
- fibrinogen
- vWF
- factor VIII
- fibronectin
Indications for cryoprecipitate?
1) DIC with fibrinogen <1g/L
2) vWD
3) massive haemorrhage
What happens in factor V Leiden?
Mutation in factor V results in resisted degradation by protein C –> increases risk of clotting.
Duration over which platelets are admistered?
30 mins