When a patient receiving daratumumab is scheduled for a blood transfusion, what should the nurse do first?

Notifying the transfusion center of the patient’s medication history is crucial when a patient is receiving daratumumab, which is a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of certain lymphomas and multiple myeloma. Daratumumab can interfere with blood typing and crossmatching because it can bind to certain red blood cells, leading to false-positive serological results.

By informing the transfusion center of the patient's medication history, you enable them to take necessary precautions and possibly perform additional testing to ensure that the blood products are safe for the patient. This step helps prevent transfusion reactions that could occur due to the interference of daratumumab with the crossmatching process.

While other actions, such as obtaining verbal consent or administering premedications like diphenhydramine and acetaminophen, are important in the overall process of managing patients receiving transfusions, they do not address the specific risk associated with daratumumab's impact on blood component compatibility as directly as notifying the transfusion center. Preparing for a safe transfusion starts by ensuring the facility has all pertinent information, particularly in the context of a medication like daratumumab.