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Can Ringer's lactate be used safely with blood transfusions?
M Lorenzo1, J W Davis, S Negin
1Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco/Fresno Valley Medical Center, USA.
American Journal of Surgery
|May 6, 1998
Summary
Ringer's lactate (LR) solution can be safely used for rapid blood transfusions, as it showed no significant difference in infusion time, filter weight, or clot formation compared to normal saline (NS). Guidelines may be revised.
Area of Science:
- Transfusion Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
- Clinical Pathology
Background:
- Current blood bank protocols advise against using Ringer's lactate (LR) solution during blood transfusions.
- Limited research quantifies coagulation risks associated with rapid LR and blood co-infusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of rapid co-infusion of Ringer's lactate (LR) solution with whole blood (WB) and packed red blood cells (PRBC).
- To compare clot formation and infusion parameters between LR and normal saline (NS) during rapid blood product administration.
Main Methods:
- Whole blood (n=25) and packed red blood cells (n=26) were rapidly mixed with normal saline (NS) and varying concentrations of Ringer's lactate (LR-1, LR-2, LR-5) containing calcium chloride.
- Infusion time, filter weight, and clot formation were assessed to determine the impact of LR on blood transfusion.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in infusion time or filter weight were observed between NS and LR groups for both WB and PRBC.
- While overall clot formation showed no significant difference, increased visible clots were noted in the LR-5 group (P=0.013 for WB, P=0.002 for PRBC).
Conclusions:
- Rapid infusion of Ringer's lactate (LR) with blood products (WB and PRBC) does not significantly affect infusion time, filter weight, or clot formation compared to normal saline (NS).
- Blood bank guidelines may be updated to permit the use of LR in rapid packed red blood cell transfusions.
