Bety,
If your husband needs a transfusion your doctor will order a type and crossing blood match. This has to be done everytime a person gets transfused because the transfused blood will give your husband new antigens and they must all be matched as best as possible.
A pint of blood takes approx. 2-3hrs to transfuse depending on the center’s protocol. You can plan on two units taking about 4-5hrs. Your doctor may or may not order what they call “pre-meds.” This would be tylenol and benadryl to help stave off any allergic reaction your husband might have. If they don’t order the pre-meds and he gets hives or some other allergic reaction they will probably order them the next transfusion and thereafter. Mom has only had one reaction to a blood transfusion and it was hives. She took some benadryl at home and was fine. Last night she did get some sort of virus from the blood she received but it was mild and went away with a tylenol (she had a fever and headache).
I suppose folks can have a major reaction to a blood transfusion but I’ve never actually heard of that. Our nurses always tell us to watch for fever, chills and rash as indicators of a reaction. Any allergic reaction will usually take place soon after the blood starts.
It takes approx. 24hrs for the blood to circulate and for mom to feel better. When she’s low she feels better right away but is not back to her full strength for 48-72hrs. Transfusions lasting power is totally dependent on the person’s disease. Two side factors (but less important) are how old the blood is and how healthy the person donating was. We find when mom gets “football player” blood she sure can go awhile!! When mom first got sick her transfusions were every 12 weeks. At one point they were down to every 10 days. With the natural medicine we are now doing she can go just over 3 weeks. If a person is totally transfusion dependent and not making any red cells on their own then most will have to be transfused every 10-14 days.
Hope this answered some of your questions.
Patti
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