Blood Product Administration

A blood product can restore oxygen-carrying capacity, replace platelets or coagulation factors, or support haemostasis. The same infusion can also trigger immune injury, acute respiratory failure, fluid overload, severe allergy, or sepsis. The experienced nurse does not wait for a dramatic collapse; a new symptom or a meaningful change from the pre-transfusion baseline is treated as a possible reaction until assessed. The first transfusion-specific decision is simple: stop the blood product when a reaction is suspected. This applies even when the initial cue is only fever, chills, itching, back pain, or a change in vital signs. Resuscitation and escalation occur at the same time if the patient is unstable.