An adult patient admitted with lower gastrointestinal bleeding is prescribed a unit of packed red blood cells.Which gauge needle should be inserted to administer this blood product?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Large-gauge needles,14 to 18 gauge,are used for blood products in adults because the bore is large enough to allow transfusion without cell damage (lysis).Smaller-gauge bores can cause clumping and breakage of the cell,thus leading to reduced effectiveness of the transfusion as well as contributing to fragmented by-product of red blood cell waste.

An Adult Patient Admitted with Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding Is Prescribed