A client undergoes surgery to repair lung injuries. postoperative orders include the transfusion of one unit of packed red blood cells at a rate of 60 ml/hour. how long will this transfusion take to infuse?

One unit of packed red blood cells is about 250 mL. If the blood is delivered at a rate of 60 mL/h, it will take about 4 hours to infuse the whole unit. The transfusion on the other hand of a single unit of packed red blood cells should not take more than 4 hours to prevent the growth of pathogens or bacteria and minimize the risk of septicemia (serious bloodstream infection).