Poster Presentation
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
This presentation is part of : Poster Presentations I
Enhanced Patient Comfort with Warm Blood Transfusions
Bernice Budz, RN, MSN, ARNP, Cardiovascular Services, St Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, WA, USA, Diana Meyer, RN, MSN, Emergency Services, St Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, WA, USA, Cris Gonzales, RN, MSN, Medical Surgical Services, St Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, WA, USA, and Lori Burton, RN, MSN, Critical Care, St Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, WA, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Describe the design of the study
Learning Objective #2: Review the data and discuss the implications for practice
The literature identifies that hypothermia does occur when large volumes of cold blood are transfused.  To date, there has been no reported research about the warming of routine packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions. We have observed patients expressing discomfort and being cold while receiving routine single units of blood.  Based on these findings, our Emergency Department has used fluid warmers for all single unit transfusions over the last 3 years. Patients and staff report an increase in patient comfort and a decrease in “feeling cold”. The results of a random audit of in-patient charts found that 80% of patients began the transfusions with mild to moderate hypothermia and had a further decrease in temperature with a single unit of blood transfused. We found patients who were normothermic at the beginning of transfusion also had a 1 to 2 degree decrease in temperature.

The clinical nurse specialists’ proposed conducting a study using a fluid warmer with routine blood transfusions for all post surgical and medical patients. A convenience sample was used for this study based on pre-identified selection criteria.  Patients were randomized to a control group consisting of standard practice for routine blood transfusions or to the experimental group who received warm blood transfusions. The data points that were collected include the physiologic measures of temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and SpO2 (saturations), patient demographics, and transfusion history. Patient satisfaction data was collected including feeling cold at the IV site, general coldness, and any other discomfort (eg. shivers, cramps) during transfusion. Our preliminary analysis indicated that patients do not experience clinically significant increase in temperature and express enhanced comfort during warm blood transfusions.

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