NAVLE Emergency Guide
Veterinary Transfusion Basics: Product Choice, Monitoring, and Reactions
Transfusion questions test decision matching: product selection, dosing strategy, and reaction monitoring. This guide gives a practical framework that supports both exam logic and safe bedside execution.
Use this guide to move from first-pass pattern recognition to structured diagnostic and treatment logic. The flow is designed for NAVLE-style decision sequencing and practical ward preparation.
Rapid Algorithm
- Confirm transfusion indication based on oxygen delivery risk, bleeding status, and clinical signs.
- Select blood product type that matches the immediate clinical deficit.
- Calculate dose and rate strategy with reassessment checkpoints.
- Monitor for acute reactions during initiation and throughout infusion.
- Document response and plan follow-up diagnostics for ongoing management.
Diagnostic Flow
- Baseline PCV/TS, coagulation context, and hemodynamic data support product selection.
- Crossmatch and typing considerations depend on species, history, and urgency.
- Serial perfusion and oxygenation indicators guide transfusion effectiveness.
- Track temperature, heart rate, respiratory effort, and blood pressure during infusion.
- Post-transfusion labs help assess durability of response and next-step needs.
Treatment Flow
- Choose packed red cells when oxygen-carrying capacity is the dominant deficit.
- Use plasma-centered products when coagulation support is primary.
- Start infusion cautiously and increase rate after initial tolerance is confirmed.
- Pause and reassess immediately if reaction signs emerge.
- Integrate source-control and definitive disease management alongside transfusion support.
Exam Traps
- Selecting product type without matching the physiologic deficit is a common error.
- Skipping early reaction surveillance in unstable patients can delay intervention.
- Assuming one transfusion resolves ongoing loss without source control reduces effectiveness.
- Overreliance on a single post-transfusion value can miss dynamic trends.
- Ignoring species and prior transfusion history can raise reaction risk.
Practice Prompts
- Which blood product is preferred for severe anemia without coagulopathy?
- How should transfusion rate be adjusted in fragile cardiopulmonary patients?
- What are the first signs of acute transfusion reactions to watch for?
- How do you determine whether another transfusion is needed?
- What supporting diagnostics improve transfusion decision quality?
Related Content
- Return to pillar: NAVLE Emergency and Critical Care: Triage, Stabilize, Treat
- Rodenticide Bleeding in Dogs and Cats: Triage and Stabilization Plan
- Pleural Effusion Differentials in Dogs and Cats: Practical Triage Framework
- Use the Transfusion Helper
- Try 5 free practice questions on this topic
- Unlock unlimited practice (Premium)
Sources and Review Notes
- Drug label search (DailyMed)
- IRIS stages
- Normal lab values
- Heartworm treatment protocol
- Lab test protocols
- Microchip lookup
- Vertebral Heart Score
- BCS charts
- ACVIM cardiology consensus guideline references
- Dental charts
- AAHA vaccination guidelines
- Flea/tick product info
- Dog/cat breed search
- RECOVER CPR guidelines
Last reviewed: February 13, 2026
Educational only. This page is designed for study and does not replace case-specific diagnosis, local protocols, or direct supervision.