The Importance of Blood Warming in Medical Environment: Types of Blood Warmers

A blood warmer is a crucial medical device that heats blood or other fluids to a suitable temperature before administration. Blood warming is a critical practice during transfusions, especially in cases requiring rapid transfusion rates (e.g., >50 mL/kg/hr) or when dealing with already hypothermic patients and rare conditions like cold agglutinins. It is also vital during massive transfusions to prevent hypothermia, which can lead to serious complications.

Why Blood Must Be Warmed Before Transfusion

Before transfusion, it’s crucial to warm blood to the body’s physiological temperature to avoid post-transfusion complications. This process is essential during surgeries and emergency situations to prevent hypothermia and hemolysis (the breakdown of blood cells). Warmers make it possible to quickly infuse or transfuse blood and IV fluids without causing damage, making them invaluable in any hospital or healthcare facility.

Key Uses of Blood Warmers

Preventing Transfusion Complications Ensuring blood is at the correct temperature to avoid adverse effects	Preventing Blood Clotting Maintaining the right temperature to prevent red blood cells from clumping together.	Reducing Infection Risk Keeping blood warm helps maintain the effectiveness of white blood cells, reducing the risk of infection

How Blood Warmers Work

Blood warmers are devices ensuring the safe warming and constant temperature control of blood during transfusions and IV fluids during infusions. For example, one of the types of blood warmer -  the Ampir-01 blood warmer is designed for medium-flow transfusions and offers immediate use without pre-warming the blood. It provides precise temperature control, allowing medical staff to set and maintain the desired temperature consistently. Accurate and uniform heating is essential to prevent overheating or cooling, which could affect treatment outcomes and patient comfort.

Risks of Transfusing Cold Blood

Transfusing cold blood, especially in large volumes, can lead to severe complications, such as:

• Hypothermia
• Ventricular fibrillation
• Arrhythmia
• Heart failure
• Slowed metabolic processes

Massive transfusions of cold blood can be particularly dangerous. For instance, rapidly infusing 5 liters of cold blood can result in cardiac arrest due to hypothermia.

Types of Blood Warmers

1. Passive Warming: Utilizes external heat sources like water-bath warmers or heating pads.
2. Active Warming: Uses electricity to generate heat, offering faster and more consistent warming, such as dry heat plate warmers and blood IV tube warmers.

Specific Blood Warming Devices

• Water-Bath Warmers: Warm IV fluids with preheated water. They can be inefficient at high infusion rates.
• Heating Pads: Utilize air from blanket warmers. This method turns your blanket warmer into a blood warmer.
• Dry Heat Plate Warmers: These devices introduce a disposable cassette into the IV circuit to maximize the fluid-heater interface's surface area, allowing temperatures to rise up to 41°C.
• Blood IV Tube Warmers: These devices offer effective warming through a special design with a large contact surface, maintaining a set temperature for 24 hours and ensuring secure IV line retention.

Choosing the Right Blood Warmer

When selecting a blood warmer, consider the following factors:

1. Type of Blood Warmer: Choose between passive (external heat) and active (electric heating) warmers. Active warmers, like the Ampir-01, are generally more effective because they heat blood faster and maintain consistent temperatures.
2. Size: Select a size that matches the volume of blood typically handled.
3. Cost: Balance your budget with the necessary features.
4. Ease of Use: Ensure the device is user-friendly, especially in emergencies.
5. Safety Features: Look for warmers with safety mechanisms, such as automatic shut-off, to prevent overheating.

AMPIR-01 Blood IV Tube Warmer

The AMPIR-01 by TAHAT is an advanced active type of blood warmer, designed to improve patient outcomes by reducing the risk of hypothermia.

Key features include:

• Precise temperature control. The ability to accurately adjust and maintain fluid temperatures is critical to the safety and effectiveness of treatment.
• 24-hour temperature maintenance.
• Fast heating (2-5 minutes) with a flow rate of up to 6,000 mL/hour.
• Compatibility with standard extended infusion lines from any manufacturer.
• Sterility. Sterile warming of solutions is necessary to prevent infections in patients.
• Compatible with various liquid media. The device can be used with various types of infusion solutions, including medications, blood components, blood substitutes and nutritional formulas.
• The ability to use 2 lines simultaneously, which allows you to provide assistance to several patients, save time and ensure efficiency.
• Does not require additional accessories or consumables. Does not require additional investments.

Blood warmers, especially advanced models like Ampir-01, are essential for maintaining patient safety and the efficacy of infusions and transfusions, making them indispensable tools in healthcare facilities.