This guideline applies to all blood products
PROSPECTIVE CONSENT
- Before gaining consent, inform patient:
- reason for transfusion
- risks and benefits
- possible alternatives
- how the transfusion will be administered
- that following transfusion, they cannot donate blood
- If possible, provide written information
- Record discussion fully in patient’s medical record
- When seen for follow-up, or writing to them, re-inform patients they cannot donate blood
RETROSPECTIVE INFORMATION
- In an emergency, it may not be possible to obtain valid consent. Discussion may be retrospective
- note specific guidance related to advance directives
- If patients told pre-procedure (e.g. pre-operatively) they might require a transfusion, inform them post-procedure whether they did/did not receive a transfusion
- Note that trauma transfer patients may have had blood products at another hospital or during transfer from scene of accident
LONG-TERM TRANSFUSION-DEPENDENT PATIENTS
- Modified consent is required. Discuss at the start of the transfusion regimen followed by regular updates including benefits, risks and specific issues e.g.
- iron overload
- risk of allo-immunisation including haemolysis risks (red cells) and platelet refractoriness (HLA antibodies)
- infective risks and other reactions
DISCHARGE
- Ensure patient is aware they have received a transfusion
- Record transfusion information in discharge summary
© 2022 The Bedside Clinical Guidelines Partnership.
Created by University Hospital North Midlands and Keele University School of Computing and Mathematics.
Research and development team: James Mitchell, Ed de Quincey, Charles Pantin, Naveed Mustfa