What action is crucial before beginning a blood transfusion?

Before beginning a blood transfusion, it is crucial to verify patient identity and blood compatibility. This step is essential to prevent transfusion reactions, which can occur if the wrong blood type is administered to a patient. Blood compatibility involves matching the donor's blood type with the recipient's to ensure that the patient's immune system will not react adversely to the transfusion.

Verifying the patient's identity typically involves checking the patient's identification band and confirming their details with the blood product, which includes matching the blood type and Rh factor. This process significantly reduces the risk of hemolytic reactions and is a standard protocol in transfusion practices.

While assessing client allergies and obtaining consent are important in the overall context of patient care and safety, they are not the most critical immediate actions specifically required before initiating the transfusion. Performing a complete blood count, although beneficial for understanding the patient's hemoglobin and overall blood status, is also not a prerequisite for starting a transfusion. The priority before proceeding is always ensuring the correct blood type is given to the correct patient, which underscores the importance of the verification step.