Important Information Concerning Reusable Blood Warmer

By Margaret Snyder


Generally, when you donate blood and is not transfused to a patient at that time, it has to be stored in a refrigerator so as to enhance its life. Obvious, the temperature in a refrigerator is far much below the normal body blood temperature. It happens that this ice-cold fluid is transfused into the body system, conditions like hyperthermia, arrhythmias, and shock are likely to occur. That is why reusable blood warmer are used so as to provide the fluid with the necessary and appropriate temperature before being incorporated into the body.

These devices are of different kinds depending on their technique of warming and the technology used. The first type uses the method of dry heat. Other types are the countercurrent and using the water bath. You need to do this during the process of in-line warming or before transfusion. However, the device does not offer the methods of retaining heat despite being made with a technology which prevents loss of heat.

However, they are made without the ability to maintain or retain temperature. Once they make the fluid reach the set temperature, they cannot maintain that range until restarted. That is why, when the device accomplishes the goal, that is raising the temperature to around 37 degrees Celsius, it is now taken into the patient body. If this is not done, the fluid is likely going to lower the temperature again.

Mostly, you need to use these devices during the process of transferring blood to a patient that requires not less than fifty percent of blood volume of their body. Also, you can use the devices when the amount you want to administer needs urgency or when you need to do it rapidly. The reason is that when you transfuse a higher amount of the cold fluid into the body, then the cases mentioned are likely to emerge because of the temperature will lower to the range which gets recommended. If the patient has cold agglutinins, then you can use these devices.

However, it is important to have certain specific considerations before administering the procedure to patients who are elderly, pediatric, neonates, as well as those with chronic infections and cardiac dysfunction. However, the device should be operating before the entire exercise begins. One of the reasons being that it cannot be switched on, at the same time, it is has provided the required temperature.

The devices are supposed to be in operation mode prior to the exercise so as to provide temperature rise in a gradual and systematic way not in a random way that can affect the cells. When properly utilized, negative effects associated with cold temperature will not be experienced. The devices, on the other hand, are not disposed after a single use as they are reused. They are also convenient devices more the countercurrent that requires auto start-stop to keep the required temperature.

However, it has various disadvantages such as temperature maintain technology or failure. You can only prevent the heat loss by current warming, but you cannot be able to make the patient warm. Therefore, you need to use other methods such as blankets, warming, as well as pads as another alternative or remedies to conditions such as hypothermia.

They are not effective in providing warmth as other ways like using hot water baths, blankets, and pads do better than them in reducing hypothermia. However, their use cannot be compared with cold transfusions.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.