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A NEW CODE TO SAVE LIVES:

“TRANSFUSION TEAM TO ____”

Jean McGee, BSN, RNC-EFM

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In cases of massive hemorrhage:

  • Rapid response equates to improved outcomes
  • Harrington Hospital’s NEW CODE will call a group of responders to assist with stabilization of the patient

TRANSFUSION TEAM TO (UNIT)

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RESPONDERS:

  • Hospitalist
  • Clinical Coordinator/Unit Director
  • Designated and/or available nursing staff
  • PCA (designated runner to the blood bank)
  • Phlebotomist

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DUTIES:

  • Physician will notify the team of the need for blood products
  • Initiate the overhead paging system (*66 “TRANSFUSION TEAM to the area involved)
  • The hospital operator will notify the blood bank of the massive transfusion emergency initiation after the code is announced
  • The physician will complete the Emergency Release Request form to include Pt’s name, DOB, gender, MR#; number of units and kind of product.

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DUTIES (Con’t):

  • Designated Runner will bring the Emergency Release form to the Blood Bank and return with the ThermoSafe medical transport box. Runner will report time of arrival to Recorder.
  • Recorder: responsible for notating events of the code as well as arrival and use of blood products and the proper storage of new products to the site using the ThermoSafe box.
  • Any subsequent platelets or Pooled CRYO will be brought to the site and stored at room temperature.

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KEY POINTS:

  • Insert a secondary (large bore - 18 G) IV
  • DESIGNATE A RECORDER OF EVENTS!!!
  • Use the emergency release if no blood consent
  • Emergency blood tubes (located in the OMNICELL refrigerator) need to be given to the phlebotomist (Special DIC tubes/blood bank band) Use *911
  • Administer NO BLOOD PRODUCTS without a blood band on the patient FIRST!!!
  • REMEMBER TO DEBRIEF!!

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REMEMBER:

  • Consider inserting a 2nd large-bore IV line
  • Obtain a blood warmer for use in the emergency
  • Unused blood product needs to be returned to the blood bank as soon as the crisis is over.
  • Nursing leadership needs to call Blood Bank once crisis is over.
  • *66 “TRANSFUSION TEAM TO …….”