Acute Hemolytic Reactions
PREVENTION: The prevention of these potentially disastrous reactions is through constant vigilance!
Since, by now, you are well aware that most acute hemolytic reactions are caused by an error in blood labelling, testing, or administration, resulting in a patient receiving someone else's blood, the way to prevent them should be obvious. Most (hopefully pretty close to all) blood banks have safety measures in place that include verification of the patient's name on the order and/or the armband, careful attention to detail in the blood bank itself, and assurance that at least two people check each other at the bedside. These are just basic measures that should be iron-clad and non-negotiable.
Occasionally, people will get upset at some of the seemingly "picky" things that the blood bank does in order to ensure the integrity of the sample. For example, many blood banks will not allow a phlebotomist to correct the spelling of a patient name on a blood sample tube for crossmatch if they transcribed it incorrectly (even a little bit incorrectly). The purpose of this policy is to make as sure as we can that the right blood is going to the right patient, and communication with the transfusing and collecting staff is essential in order to let them know that this is your rule, and it will not be waived. I personally agree with this policy, by the way, and have instituted "zero tolerance" for labeling errors in my facility.
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, sometimes mistakes are made. If so, our job as blood bankers is to recognize these reactions, treat them as rapidly as possible, and make as sure as we can that they don't happen again.
Back to Transfusion Reaction Types