A client is anxious about a blood transfusion and the risk of infection. What action should the nurse recommend to minimize this risk?

The recommended action for minimizing the risk of infection during a blood transfusion is to arrange an autologous blood donation before the planned surgery. Autologous blood donation involves the patient donating their own blood prior to the procedure, which eliminates the risk of transmitting infections from donor blood, as the blood is their own. This method not only reduces the risk of infection but also addresses concerns over potential allergic reactions and blood type compatibility.

In this scenario, while options like asking a friend or family member to donate (which can introduce risks associated with blood from others), taking iron supplements (which would help with anemia but does not directly reduce infection risk), and requesting additional screening for donated blood (which is a good practice but does not eliminate the underlying risk associated with using donor blood) may seem beneficial, they do not provide the same level of protection against infection as an autologous blood donation. Therefore, this approach is the most effective recommendation to alleviate the client’s anxiety and concerns about the potential risks associated with blood transfusions.