Adult outpatient transfusion clinic in a hospital-based blood bank.
Eighty-one patients have been followed in our ambulatory transfusion clinic for a total of 176 patient visits. They received phlebotomies, plasmapheresis, and transfusions of erythrocytes and platelets. Minor reactions (febrile reactions, transient hypotension, and urticaria) occurred in only six patients. The advantages of a transfusion service conducted by blood bank professional and technical staff are numerous. The nurse/patient ratio is low enough so that the patient can receive individualized attention including virtually constant vigilance. The laboratory staff and pathologist become familiar with the therapeutic management of patients who may potentially place great stress on the laboratory. The transfusion clinic also provides an opportunity for the pathologist to gain further experience and to train others as transfusion therapists, a role which he is often asked to assume when a transfusion reaction occurs. The gain for the outpatient clinic and emergency room is that they can function more efficiently when more rooms are available for patients who have a faster turnover time.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001771:Blood Banks; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D000078329:Workforce