Blood is typed, screened, and crossmatched, so transfusion is normally very safe. When a reaction does start, every extra milliliter adds to the damage. Pick a reaction, run the clock, and see what stopping early saves.
The unit, the vessel, the kidney
Watch the donor cells in the vessel, the free hemoglobin spilling into the plasma, and the color of the urine. One unit of 300 mL runs over about three hours, and the first 15 minutes run slower so a reaction shows up on the smallest volume.
Pick a reaction and move the clock.
What the body shows
A sign lights up once it would be noticed at the bedside.
No reactionUnit running, vital signs steady
Set up the case
Minutes since the unit started0
Infused
0
mL of the unit
Temperature
37.0
°C · 37.0 normal
Heart rate
78
beats/min
Systolic BP
118
mm Hg
Free hemoglobin
0
mg/dL in plasma
Kidney damage
0
% of the risk locked in
What is happening now
Pick a reaction to begin.
Stop the transfusion.
Keep the line open with normal saline, on fresh tubing.
Check the vital signs.
Notify the provider and the blood bank.
Send the bag and tubing back for testing.
Stop first, assess second. Stopping comes before the vital signs and before the phone call. The damage tracks the volume that went in, so the clamp is the one action that changes the outcome.