Best Chairs for Blood Transfusion and Haematology Day Units

Haematology day units are used repeatedly by people with conditions such as sickle cell disease or anaemia. Over the course of their treatment, they may spend several hours in a chair for each transfusion, often every few weeks.

Chairs in blood transfusion and haematology day units need to provide comfort for extended periods of time, and be accessible for nurses to cannulate the patient and adjust over the duration of the treatment.

Jump straight to…

• • • What happens in a haematology day unit
    • What haematology patients need from a chair
    • What clinicians need from a chair
    • Blood sampling versus transfusion
    • Best Chairs for Haematology Units
    • Conclusion
    • Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in a haematology day unit

Haematology units usually carry out blood transfusions or blood cancer treatments, for a range of diseases such as haemoglobin disorders (sickle cell disease, thalassaemia) or blood cancers (leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome).

Haemoglobin disorders are inherited genetically and are caused by a disorder in the way haemoglobin releases oxygen in blood cells. The blood cells change shape and stick together, which causes blockages and pain.

The risks of haemoglobin disorders include:

• Anaemia (drop in red blood cells)
• Stroke
• Acute chest syndrome
• Blood vessel blockages, causing severe pain
• Organ damage

Blood or exchange transfusions are carried out to replace red blood cells.

Where blood cancers are present that cause a drop in white or plasma blood cells, bone marrow treatments are carried out in haematology units.

What haematology patients need from a chair

Blood transfusions take 2-3 hours per unit of blood, so can take all day over the course of several weeks depending on the extent of the treatment. They are administered through a line inserted into the arm.

Receiving blood transfusions for many hours at a time requires comfortable seating with armrests that can accommodate lines while keeping the patient comfortable and supported.

What clinicians need from a chair

Clinicians working on blood transfusion wards need easy cannulation access and chairs that support safe transfers and moving and handling.

If a patient doesn’t react well to a transfusion reaction or feels faint, staff need to be able to adjust the chair quickly to support the patient.

If the patient needs to be laid flat in an emergency situation, Trendelenburg positioning and CPR release are really useful features to have.

Blood sampling versus transfusion

Blood sampling is a shorter procedure than transfusion, and is carried out in phlebotomy clinics. Adjustability is important for these chairs but long-term comfort is not as important. The VELA Phlebotomy Chair is used for blood sampling and phlebotomy in many hospital clinics.

Best Chairs for Haematology Units

The QuickCare Pro Lie-Flat chair is designed for longer outpatient treatments like blood transfusions.

• The multiflex padded armrests adjusts to three different angles, and flip up to a level tray for cannulation.
• The patient handset has a group of preset positions, useful for adjusting positions independently.
• The chair is height adjustable from 470 to 800mm to suit the widest range of patients, and assist with transfers and carer access.
• Antimicrobial fabrics protect against infection and cross contamination
• Can switch to lie-flat position or Trendelenburg in seconds for CPR or emergencies

Conclusion

In haematology units, patients sit for several hours at a time, so comfort and well-supported armrests are important. Nurses need good cannulation access, and the ability to transfer safely and respond fast if a patient becomes unwell.

A chair designed for longer treatments, rather than short procedures like blood sampling, meets these needs for blood transfusion and haematology day units.