NORCET 7 Prelims -2024
Nursing Foundation
Easy
The nurse is preparing to administer platelets. The blood products should be infused over a period of:
Appeared in: NORCET 7 Prelims -2024
Explanation
- Platelets are fragile and must be infused rapidly to maintain their viability and prevent clumping, which preserves their therapeutic function.
- The standard infusion time for a unit of platelets is 15 to 30 minutes.
- Guidelines recommend infusing platelets within 20-30 minutes of them being received to ensure optimal function.
- A fresh, sterile blood administration set, primed with normal saline, should be used specifically for platelet transfusions.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option B: This infusion time is too slow for platelets and can lead to their degradation and loss of function before they are fully administered.
- Option C: This is the standard infusion time for Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), not platelets.
- Option D: This is the standard infusion time for Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBCs) or Whole Blood.
Related Visual
- Visual 1: Table: Comparison of Infusion Times for Common Blood Products - A clear table showing Platelets, FFP, and PRBCs with their respective standard infusion times and key considerations.
- Visual 2: Infographic: Blood Product Administration Safety - A visual guide illustrating the key safety checks: patient verification, product inspection, correct tubing (Y-set with filter), and use of normal saline.
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: Knowing Administration of blood products and their standard infusion times helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
- Adhering to correct infusion times is a critical nursing responsibility for patient safety and therapeutic efficacy. Infusing platelets too slowly renders them ineffective, while infusing PRBCs too slowly increases the risk of sepsis.
- Nurses must be vigilant in monitoring for transfusion reactions, which are most likely to occur within the first 15 minutes of any blood product infusion.
- What if? The patient has a history of congestive heart failure (CHF) and is at risk for fluid overload? The nurse should still complete the platelet infusion as quickly as is safe, potentially aiming for the 30-minute end of the range. The nurse must monitor closely for signs of overload (e.g., dyspnea, crackles) and a pre-transfusion diuretic may be ordered by the provider.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the specific blood product mentioned in the question stem: 'platelets'.
- Second, recognize that this is a factual recall question requiring knowledge of standard nursing procedures for blood administration.
- Third, differentiate the specific infusion time for platelets from the times required for other common blood products like Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBCs) and Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP).
- Recall that platelets are fragile and require a rapid infusion to maintain their function.
- Select the option that matches the standard rapid infusion time for platelets, which is 15-30 minutes.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Administration of blood products and their standard infusion times.
- Stem keywords: platelets, blood products, infusion period
- Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QTYwz6jkf34mIHUfkQpPYJ
Practise the full NORCET 7 Prelims -2024
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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