Prior to blood transfusion, which assessment should be performed?

Verifying blood type and crossmatch is a critical step before a blood transfusion because it helps to ensure compatibility between the donor blood and the recipient's blood. Incompatibility can result in severe transfusion reactions, which can be life-threatening. The blood type includes the ABO group and Rh factor, which must match to avoid adverse reactions. The crossmatch process involves mixing a small sample of the recipient's blood with the donor's blood to check for any potential immunological reactions. This careful verification is a fundamental part of patient safety in transfusion medicine.

While checking vital signs and lung sounds, assessing electrolyte levels, or ensuring the patient has eaten recently may be important components of overall patient care, they do not specifically address the immediate and critical need for compatibility and safety when administering a blood transfusion. Maintaining proper blood type matching is paramount, as it directly influences the patient's safety during the transfusion process.