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Blood transfusions are a critical part of everyday medical procedures and save millions of lives each year. If you are going to receive a blood transfusion, it is important that you understand your options. Blood transfusions help save nearly 10,000 lives each day. Many modern medical miracles, such as organ transplants, effective cancer therapies, support for sickle cell patients, the survival of very premature infants and most heart surgery, would not be possible without blood transfusions. Blood also plays a lifesaving role in serious accidents, civil and military conflicts, and major tragedies, such as earthquakes and hurricanes. To keep America's blood supply as safe as it is today, healthy Americans should give blood as often as possible through their community blood center. If you are unable to donate blood yourself, encourage healthy family members and friends to do so to make sure the gift of life is there when it is needed. Should you or a loved one require a blood transfusion, talk with your doctor about the options, possible risks and whether you could use your own blood for your transfusion. Why would my doctor recommend a blood transfusion? You may require blood for a variety of reasons including the need to replace blood that is lost or temporarily not replaced by your bone marrow, which makes your blood cells.
Is it safe to get a blood transfusion? Your Risks While America's blood supply is safer than ever, blood transfusions are not risk-free. However, strict screening practices in the selection of blood donors, as well as safety procedures for storage and transportation of blood, make America's blood supply as safe as modern technology can make it. Only people with a clean bill of health can give blood. Donors must answer a series of tough questions about their health and risk factors for disease before giving blood, Each unit of donated blood (about one pint) goes through extensive testing to make sure it's safe for transfusion. In almost every case, the life-saving benefits of receiving a blood transfusion outweigh the possible risk of contraction an infectious disease. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of contracting HIV from a blood transfusion is one in 100,000 patients. That's about the same odds as dying from a lightning strike.
U.S. Facts About Blood
Where does the blood for my transfusion come from? Volunteer Blood Donors… Virtually all blood donations in the United States are made through volunteer donors who give their blood through nonprofit community blood centers. The FDA requires labeling on blood bags that states whether a unit of blood has come from a volunteer or paid donor. Non-profit community blood centers use blood collected only from volunteer donors. Using blood donated by volunteers ensures the blood center that is was donated for only altruistic reasons. Other Options That May Be Available
Using Your Own Blood Using your own blood, called autologous (aw-TOL-o-gus) donation, reduces the chance of having a reaction to a blood transfusion. Also, you reduce the chance of getting a disease that may have been transmitted through the blood of others. Usually, you can donate blood for up to six weeks before your surgery. However, doctors may collect your blood at the beginning of the surgery and return it to you at the end of the operation. This process is called blood dilution or intraoperative hemodilution. Another way doctors use your own blood is by saving blood that is lost during surgery and immediately returning it to your body. This is called an intraoperative autologous transfusion. Depending on the timing of your surgery, the type of surgery and your personal health, these procedures may not be practical, or it may not be recommended that you use your own blood. When it is not possible to donate your own blood, you will receive donated blood from the volunteer community blood program. Directed Donation A directed donation is blood that is donated for you by family members or friends who have the same blood type as you. There is no evidence that directed donations are safer than blood donated by community volunteers. In fact, blood donations from close relatives are more likely to cause a reaction by your immune system. In these situations, doctors must treat the blood with radiation before it can be used safely. Hemapheresis (heem-a-fer-EE-sis) Donation A hemepheresis or apheresis blood donation uses a special machine to separate the blood during the donation so that only certain parts of the blood are collected, such as platelets. This allows you to receive only the part of the blood you most need. Most blood collected for transfusions is separated into components: red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma. During a hemapheresis donation higher concentrations of one blood component can be collected. For example, one hemapheresis platelet donation contains six to eight times more platelets than one whole blood donation. Blood and Blood Components Your medical situation will determine which blood component you may need.
Reducing Your Risks For some patients, there are benefits to removing white cells entirely from donated blood. Almost 20 percent of all donated blood is filtered to remove the white cells, reducing the risk of a transfusion reaction. This process is called white cell or leukocyte
(LOU-ko-cite) reduction. It may help some patients recover more quickly from surgery. Your doctor can tell you whether white cell reduction might be an option for your blood transfusion. I keep reading about blood substitutes, will they be available soon? Despite much promising research, a true substitute for blood cells (that is, the red cells and platelets) may not be available for many years. More likely, blood transfusions will continue to become even safer because of improved blood donor screening and testing. In addition, scientists are exploring new technologies that may virtually eliminate infectious diseased from blood transfusion. New drugs and medical techniques can sometimes significantly reduce or eliminate the need for blood transfusions. For example, most surgeries today require far less blood than just a few years ago. In another example, patients on kidney dialysis who used to need monthly blood transfusions, now take a drug that promotes red cell production in the body and virtually eliminate the need for a blood transfusion. If nearly all blood comes from volunteers, why is there a charge? While blood is donated at no cost by volunteers, blood centers charge a fee to cover the costs of collecting, testing, processing and distributing to blood. These "service fees" also apply when you're donating blood for your own use. Hospitals also charge a fee for laboratory work, which makes sure the donated blood matches your blood type and for the transfusion procedure. Before you or someone you love receives a blood transfusion, talk to your doctor about the options. Your doctor can tell you which options are appropriate for you and can provide you with additional information about your transfusion. This publication was prepared by America's Blood Centers and Medsep Corporation, a subsidiary of Pall Corporation.
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Blood Transfusions
Knowing Your Options
