What it means
The blood product most often transfused. A unit of packed red blood cells is used to treat anemia and blood loss, and in an average adult one unit raises the hemoglobin by about 1 g/dL. Because it is concentrated, it gives oxygen-carrying cells with less fluid volume than whole blood.
For the nurse
Check the order, consent, client identity and blood type with a second nurse at the bedside. Use a filtered blood tubing primed with 0.9% sodium chloride only, take vital signs before and after the first 15 minutes, stay with the client for the first 15 minutes, and finish within 4 hours. Stop the transfusion at once for any sign of a reaction.
In a chart
"1 unit PRBCs infusing; VS stable at 15 minutes, no signs of reaction."
At a glance
| Also written | packed red blood cells, packed RBCs, PRBC, PRBCs |
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Related terms
hemoglobin
The iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, and the blood test that measures it.
blood transfusion
Giving blood, or a part of blood, from a donor into a person's vein.
red blood cell
A blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues; also called an erythrocyte.
transfusion reaction
A harmful response of the body to a blood transfusion.